Lights, Camera, Rangers!
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: With the Mutants gone, and Malkor taking time to evolve, the Rangers have some quiet time. How long will that last? And is it really such a good idea for a former Ranger to film a movie in Harwood? An old power returns and a new threat looms!
1. Chapter 1

**Legal: **I do not own the rights to Power Rangers, or the associated names, places, characters etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T-May be some mild adult themes and language

**A/N:** Consider this a replacement of the Halloween special, Raising Spirits. I have to point out here, I actually enjoyed the episode as not being just a pointless clip show...but I had this plot on the back burner and wanted to use it here to bridge the gap between Gosei Ultimate and Metal Alice. Don't worry, I WILL resume the main arc after this is done. In the meantime, hope you enjoy this.

The following couple of weeks for the Rangers were amazingly quiet. They were ridiculously quiet. In fact, it was almost pre-Ranger days quiet. In some ways, it was a blessing. It gave them some time to relax and recuperate after finishing off the Mutant threat once and for all.

That said, the lack of activity also had them a little concerned. After becoming used to an attack every couple of days, they were starting to wonder why all of a sudden nothing had happened. They hadn't even been in uniform aside from training in over a fortnight. They had wondered, briefly, if their destruction of the mutants and the Aurora Box had gotten Malkor to reconsider and seek other, less troublesome worlds to conquer, but the fact his ship had not left orbit quickly dispelled that optimistic option. No, by now they were confident that whatever Malkor was doing, he was preparing for something big. Perhaps even a final, apocalyptic push, throwing everything he had at them. They weren't keen on that theory, but it certainly seemed a lot more credible than Malkor suddenly deciding to give up.

Eric pulled his car up to the front of the school, opting to give the girls a lift to the school instead of letting them ride. Although they had only had the task a couple of weeks, Emma and Jake had already come up with their first major idea. Since it was Halloween, they had the idea of raising money for the local homeless shelter by allowing students to turn up to school in costume if they made a donation. They had chosen the homeless shelter because, sadly, it had seen something of a rise in business. Megazord battles, no matter how careful they tried to be, caused a lot of damage, and more than a few people had ended up needing temporary accommodation while homes were repaired or rebuilt. The only ones who weren't complaining about this turn of events were those in the construction industry, who were suddenly getting a lot of work.

He turned to the girls in the back and sighed.

"Alright, I'm not going to be at the office most of the day, so if you need me, call on my cell." He reminded them. "I'm heading to see Wayne, and then I've got a lot of clients who want to talk to me."

"Is he alright?" Emma asked sympathetically. It had now been a couple of weeks since Spider had reappeared in the Juvenile Detention Centre, but his condition wasn't changing. He was still crippled with terror, and wouldn't speak of what happened to him. He had since been moved to the psychiatric wing of the detention centre. It was a difficult time for Wayne, and Spider's sister Julie. Eric was being very understanding, putting him on light duties any time Wayne was able to come to work, and giving him plenty of time off to be with his family.

"He's holding it together for Julie's sake." He told Emma. "You're going to the Brainfreeze after school right?"

"Yeah, Ernie's letting us use the place for a private party." Emma answered with a smile. "He said he's usually pretty quiet on Halloween. It's the drawback of kids getting all the free candy they want from strangers."

"And Emma promised to make some of Mrs Goodall's legendary pumpkin pie." Gia chipped in cheerfully. Eric just smiled. It was one of Emma's many little traditions to keep the memory of her mother alive. Eleanor had indeed been an amazing cook, with a lot of recipes she had picked up across the years. She always used to make that pie on all special occasions. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween...no holiday was complete without it for the Goodalls. She had given the recipe to Emma, who had perfected it long ago.

"Well, have fun." He told them. "Oh, and remember, Louise and I have something we want to talk to you about, so try not to be too late."

"We won't." Gia replied as they got out. Emma was wearing an long, old-fashioned, frilly gown that just looked totally out of place on her. She helped Gia out of the car, before handing her a hat. Gia was wearing white, and with the hat, it became clear she was meant to be a White Witch. She got a few wolf-whistles about the costume, which annoyed her slightly, but she just ignored it. Eric just frowned.

"I get the White Witch costume, but I still think you could have worn a longer dress." He said to Gia. She just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, DAD!" She replied sarcastically with a little chuckle. As he pulled away, Emma walked with her into the school.

"Well, I guess you're not wearing it for him are you?" Emma asked. "So...how many pictures did you send her?"

"Only a couple of dozen." Gia replied with a smile, pulling out her own cell phone and showing it to Emma. "It looks like Cat's getting into the spirit too."

As Emma checked out the picture, she just grinned brightly.

"Wow...that's um...different." She commented. "What...what exactly is she meant to be?"

"I'm not sure." Gia answered honestly. "I'm not entirely sure she does either. But that doesn't stop it being cute. Is it weird that I find that cute?"

"Gia, as of a fortnight ago, we have a pet sasquatch." Emma reminded her in a chuckle. "I think we left weird in the rear view mirror months ago."

"Howdy there ladies." Troy greeted them in an accent. They saw him coming towards them, dressed as a cowboy. He seemed to be taking the costume a little seriously, doing his best John Wayne walk and accent. Gia just started laughing.

"He loves Westerns." Emma replied, hooking her arm with his. "Trust me, if you think this is bad, you should see the DVD collection in his bedroom. He was unbearable after that Clint Eastwood marathon he inflicted on me.

"And since WHEN were you in his bedroom?" Gia asked, catching the detail Emma had slipped up on. She just turned away quickly.

"So, what do you think of my costume Troy?" She asked.

"Well, little lady, I'd say it's definitely the finest..."

"Please tell me you're not going to do that all day." Gia begged him. Troy just sighed and took the hint.

"It's great Emma." He replied, kissing her softly. "So...who are you again?"

"I'm Emily Pankhurst!" She told him. Tory just looked at her a little confused. "She started the Suffragette movement?"

"Right...um...well it's great." Troy answered. "Your costume's nice too Gia."

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Noah asked as he and Quinn arrived. Both of them were dressed appropriately for the beginning of the twentieth century. Quinn's long dress was covered by an apron, and her hair was styled up, while Noah had a fake moustache and beard, with a tweed suit.

"Wow Noah, um...I was expecting Einstein or something." Troy stated. Noah just gave him a withering look.

"There are other scientists in the world." Noah reminded him. "And being the first year I actually have a girlfriend, Quinn convinced me it would be nice to do a joint costume."

"We're Pierre and Marie Curie." She told them with a smile. "Isn't it romantic?"

"Yeah, real romantic how they managed to give themselves radiation poisoning." Jordan said as he arrived, wearing an aloha shirt and cargo shorts. He had henna tattoos along his arms, and his hair was styled into a Mohawk at the top. Gia just looked at him.

"And...you are...?"

"Logan!" Noah told her. "He's a character from the video game Dead Island."

"Personally I prefer Sam B, but that would have taken a little too much makeup." Jordan told them. "And I have a feeling the guidance counsellor wouldn't have liked it too much."

"So, where's our President then?" Troy asked. "He's not missing his own day is he?"

"I think he wishes he was." Jordan sniggered, pointing as he arrived. Jake arrived, looking somewhat less than amused. He was wearing a cow outfit.

"Mom wanted help with the groceries so I got to the costume shop late alright?" He demanded as they all started laughing at him. All of them except Troy that was. He just started looking a little awkward.

"Great, no one's going to make smart ass remarks about this at all." Troy complained.

"Oh come on Troy, people will just think you got matching costumes." Gia teased him. As he saw a kid walking past in a George Washington outfit, he gestured him over.

"Here, lend me your axe." He begged the kid, hurriedly taking off his waistcoat and hat.

"But..."

"People will still know you're George Washington without it!" Troy protested as he pulled his gun out of his holster, shoving the excess stuff into his locker. "He's on the freaking one dollar bill! I have a dozen of them in my wallet right now, please!"

"Let me look at your French homework and we have a deal." The kid replied. Troy just sighed and handed it over. When the kid gave him the axe, he shoved it into the holster.

"I'm a lumberjack!" He told them. "Plaid shirt, axe...lumberjack."

"Whatever dude." Jordan replied as they all headed inside.

Elsewhere, on a coach heading down the freeway, Dax was making his way through to the back. He found Xavier doing some push-ups in the aisle.

Xavier was an actor, a rising star in action films. He was a little taller than Dax, with an athletic build earned through years of dedicated Martial Arts training. He had been a huge name in the tournament circuit for a couple of years, before a director picked him up. He had been in movies ever since he was 18. Aside from his incredible physique, natural athleticism and skill in Martial Arts, he was also very photogenic. As he got up, he swept some of his blonde hair out of his face, and flashed the million-dollar smile that had already netted him several awards from magazines. He just needed something to put him over the edge and propel him to superstardom.

"Hey Xavier." Dax greeted him. "We should be getting into Harwood in the next hour or so."

"It'll be so weird to be back in a High School." He commented. "It's been years. Thank God I talked you into that re-write."

"Come on, I told you, it's not that hard to believe teenagers can be superheroes." Dax stated. Xavier just glared at him.

"Yeah, but I'm 25." He reminded him. "As flattering as it is you think I look young, no one's going to believe I'm a High School student."

"Xavier..."

"Seriously, what is it with directors and casting people in their mid twenties as teenagers?" He asked. "It makes me wonder how many of them have even seen a teenager."

"You got the re-write alright? Your character's not a teenager anymore." Dax answered. "I just wanted to warn you so you could shower and get dressed."

"Do we really need to dress up like mannequins?" Xavier asked.

"Xavier...it's a crew jacket." Dax reminded him. "We're just going to hit the school, get the kids signing up as extras all excited...maybe sign some autographs and then we're done. You'll go straight to the hotel to rest up. I promise."

"Just make sure that's all it is." Xavier told him. "I told you, I want to get in all the gym time I can. I want to leave all those hacks that call me a fake eating their words with this movie."

"Trust me, you'll be serving the critics their words with a side of fries and onion rings." Dax told him confidently. "I need to call the others."

As he went to make some calls to the other coaches, Xavier picked up another magazine with his picture on it, and the word "fraud" printed across it in large, red letters. One of the things he hated about the press was their assault on his abilities. Since he had left the tournament circuit for movies, many of the Martial Arts purists and MMA magazines constantly bombarded him with allegations that his action sequences were faked, and his abilities were nothing but Hollywood trickery. He always did as many of his own action scenes and stunts as the studio's insurance would allow him to do, but he hated that because he wasn't taking part in competitions like a "true" fighter anymore, a decision that wasn't even his, because his studios wouldn't risk him being injured or disfigured in such competitions, that he was a phony. He was determined to make sure this was his chance to show everyone he was as real as it got.

Back at the school, Jordan, Troy, Noah, Quinn and Allison were having lunch. Noah was reading a newspaper, while Jake was eating a burger as Gia and Emma got there. Emma just gestured to the burger.

"Isn't that kind of like cannibalism?" She asked him. He just shrugged.

"I can't help it if my own kind are so tasty." He answered with a chuckle. As they sat down, Emma made a point of sitting next to Allison. In previous years, she and Allison hadn't gotten along, largely because they were so different. Emma had, by her own admission, said a lot of stuff about her that wasn't fair when she got back. Not knowing about Allison's accident, she had assumed a lot of her behaviour was just down to arrogance or superiority, and didn't know about her disability. Since she had found out, she had made a point of telling her and apologising for jumping to conclusions. She had also made a point of trying to include her in the group. Not least of which was because she was friends with Jake, and she suspected that they were dancing around the possibility of it being more.

"Another one?" Noah asked as he read through the paper, throwing it down in disgust.

"What?" Gia asked.

"Another construction firm's been robbed." Noah told her. "It's the third one this week."

"That's just low." Emma commented. "I mean, so many people are waiting on their homes being rebuilt, and some scumbag's making money by stealing building supplies?"

"It really makes you question humanity." Jordan agreed. "As much as you see people doing good stuff, you see some guys that see a crisis and all they see are dollar signs."

"Yeah, it sucks alright." Jake agreed. "Still, on the bright side we have drama class this afternoon. We finally meet Dax Lo!"

"I still can't believe our extra credit work will have us in a real movie!" Allison answered with a huge smile. "Or that we'll actually be getting PAID!"

"Is there a better kind of easy A?" Jordan asked.

"So do you think we'll finally get to know who's in this movie?" Gia asked. "They still haven't released that to the press."

"Yeah, I can really see them bringing A-list celebrities to Harwood High School." Noah said sarcastically. "They're keeping the cast under wraps. If they bring them to school...the pictures will be up on Twitter by home time."

"You always have to find a way to ruin everyone's fun." Emma told them. "Personally, I think it would be cool if Felicity Reigns was in the movie."

"Well, if we're going to be on set, no doubt we'll find out soon enough." Troy reminded them. "Jordan, want to help me clear this up?"

"Sure." Jordan replied. "I'll see you in class."

As they started to clear up, allowing the others to leave, none of them saw a Zombat in the corner of the room, relaying it's broadcast back to the Warstar ship.

Vrak was in his lab, monitoring the broadcast. He mashed a fist into the console.

"This is going too slowly." He complained loudly as some Loogies came into the lab. "Well?"

One of them handed him a note. It was a list of construction materials, which had been scored off. It was a checklist of items he wanted them to acquire. He sighed as he realised that while they had most of the items he wanted, some of them weren't on the list. A downside of trying to prepare his latest project under the radar was that he had to send in the Loogies blind, instead of being able to make sure that a site had all the stuff he needed. He had already had to send them to loot several building sites and was still short of some of the things he needed.

"The Rangers were talking about the robberies." He stated as he waved off the Loogies, indicating that they could leave. "It won't be long until they make a link between them and me. That can't happen."

He pulled out five data cards, the ones he had repaired with the Aurora Box, and sighed.

"I need to buy time." He stated. "I guess now's as good a time as any to use these." He stated. "All I need is to find the right..."

As he watched the feed from the school, he just smiled as he saw something that piqued his interest.

"Jackpot."

Back at the school, the kids were assembled in their drama class. The teacher, Mr Sykes, was trying to keep them calm as they waited for what was, without doubt, the most exciting extra credit project in history. Normally, the drama department put on a couple of plays in the year, but this time, the teacher had actually managed to get in on the ground floor of producing a movie. He knew Dax from a sitcom they had worked on early in Dax's writing and directing days.

"Alright kids, as you all know, I've brought a very special guest with me today." He stated, gesturing to the former Ranger. For the occasion, Dax had even brought his old Overdrive uniform out of mothballs. He hadn't morphed in years, part of his deal with the Government was that the morphers remained in secure storage, but he still kept the uniform as a souvenir. "This is former Power Ranger, and director extraordinaire...Dax Lo."

Dax accepted applause from the students as he stood up. He smiled and waved to show his gratitude.

"Alright, as you all know, this is going to be kind of a new experience for all of us." Dax told them. "I've been directing sitcoms and television series for a few years now, but this will be my first feature film, welcome to the cast of Power Rangers: The Movie."

"Alright, yeah!" Jake called out, high-fiving Jordan hearing this. Everyone was excited about it.

"OK, so a few things first. You're all getting taken on as extras. You'll not be getting major screen time, and it's possible your scenes won't even be in the movie depending on time." Dax warned them. "The good news is, you get the credit and get paid either way."

"Now that's the kind of deal I like." Jordan said with a smile. "Pay or Play baby!"

"Now, as a special treat...I have to ask all of you to put away any recording devices, because all of you kids are about to receive a worldwide exclusive. This hasn't even been released to the press yet." He warned them. Mr Sykes went around the room, gathering in all the cameras and phones so that no one would be tempted to put anything up on the internet. "Alright, without further ado...here are the Power Rangers!"

As five people walked into the room, the students erupted in excitement. All except Troy, who just buried his face in his hands.

"Xavier." He grumbled. "Why did it have to be Xavier?"


	2. Casting Call

The five actors all sat before the assembled class, who were beside themselves with glee and excitement. Hartford Productions, and Dax especially, had kept all the details surrounding the movie a very jealously guarded secret. No details had been leaked to any of the usual media outlets, and all the cast and crew that had been asked about it had simply stated that the confidentiality clause in their contracts was very strict. This class, these thirty students, were quite literally the first in the world outside the production crew to see who the starts of the movie were.

"Alright, I know you probably recognise many of these fine actors, but I'll introduce them for anyone who isn't familiar." Dax began. "Here we have the star of the 'Horde of Corpses' series, Felicity Redgrave."

One of the actresses stood up, looking over the audience. Most of the guys in the class had trouble keeping their eyes in their heads, while many of the girls were either in awe of her, or couldn't hide their jealousy. Felicity was a huge star in the cinema, who had made her name in a number of movies. She was most famous for being the main protagonist in a long-running horror franchise, in which she played a hotel receptionist who had become a kick-ass Zombie hunter.

She was a tall woman, with a slender build, and asking any of the guys in the audience, curves in exactly all the right places. She had unblemished, pale skin, and long, golden hair. She was wearing a long, pink skirt and a black, halter neck t-shirt that hid very little. She waved to the audience.

"Felicity Redgrave?" Jake said with a massive grin. "I can't believe they cast Felicity Redgrave! She's like...one of the hottest actresses ever!"

"She sure is." Gia agreed. She saw the way the others were looking at her. "Yeah, big surprise, I think she's hot!"

"Hi, I'll be playing the part of Amy, the Pink Ranger." She told them with a bright smile. "I'm looking forward to doing a movie where I don't spend every scene covered in fake blood, and I look forward to working with all of you."

The class applauded as he moved onto the next guy.

"This is Sam Burridge, star of the long-running hospital drama 'Emergency Room Tales'." Dax continued as the next man stood up. He towered over all of them, and had a huge, thick, muscular build. He was wearing tight blue jeans and a black, sleeveless t-shirt, revealing his arms which looked thicker than most of the football teams' legs. He took up nearly twice the space of any of the others on the panel. He had a bald head, but despite his terrifying presence, his face split into a bright smile that lit up the room. He had made his name in a hospital drama series that had won numerous awards for its writing, and gripping, dramatic storylines.

"I'm completely thrilled to be working on this production." He told them. "I'm playing Walter, the Black Ranger. While I have to admit that I was intrigued to be offered a part in a super hero movie as something other than a villain, the decision was made for me by the most important people in my life. My six Godchildren all begged me to take the role. I couldn't turn it down."

"OK thank you Oliver. Next, we have Re..."

"Thank you Dax." The next actor interrupted him in a thick, Welsh accent, standing up slowly. He was a thin man, with slightly pale skin, and soft, brown hair, with a moustache. He was wearing a classic, blue suit, with a black shirt and blue tie. "I doubt most of you are familiar with my work, since most of it was on London's West End and Broadway, but I am playing the part of David, the Blue Ranger. I'm looking forward to starting work, and only ask that all of you refer to me at all times as David."

"Uh...alright, thanks...David." Dax said as he sat down.

"What's his deal?" Jake asked.

"His name's Jeremy Thomas. He's done a lot of work in the theatre." Noah informed him. "According to a lot of inside reports, he's pretty eccentric. He's a method actor who stays in character throughout production...even off the set!"

"Weird." Jake stated.

"Next, we have Henrietta Jones, who most of you will know from the movie 'Boss of the Bluebottles'." Dax introduced the last actress. She was wearing a bright yellow dress, and had dark brown hair. She seemed to be Hispanic, with dark flesh, and deep, brown eyes. Her long, black hair was tied into a ponytail.

"Hello, my name is Gabriella Riviera, and I'll be playing Catherine, the Yellow Ranger." She told them. "You might have seen me on many Nickelodeon productions, but when Dax offered me the role in this movie, I just had to take it."

"Thank you, and finally, the one I know you're all dying to talk about, Xavier Teach!" Dax declared. As the final actor rose from his seat, the room exploded with enthusiasm, all except for Troy. Xavier accepted the applause politely.

"Hi, I'm Xavier Teach, and I'll be playing Austin, the Red Ranger." He told them. "I'm looking forward to filming scenes with all of you, and to answering any of your questions."

"Alright, we have a little time before the end of class, so if your teacher doesn't mind, I think we could do a little Q&A, before signing some autographs." Dax stated. As hands flew up to ask questions, Emma noticed Troy looking decidedly less than enthusiastic.

"What?" She asked.

"I'll explain later." He assured her. Emma reluctantly just put up her hand to ask her question.

Over at the Brainfreeze, Ernie was preparing the shop for the arrival of the Rangers. He had agreed to let them use it for a party. Halloween was generally a quiet night for him. Normally kids didn't really feel much like paying for ice-cream when they could get candy for free from complete strangers.

He loved it when he could do favours for the team. He knew that realistically there was little else he could do to aid their time as Rangers, but what little he could do, he embraced. He cared about them a great deal, and would do anything he could for them.

As he finished hanging up some decorations, he heard the bell over the door going, and saw Eric walking in. He had seen Eric a few times, and knew he was Emma's father. He smiled as Eric approached.

"How may I help you?" He asked.

"Just a coffee to go please. The place looks great." Eric complimented him. "I take it this is all for tonight?"

"It is." Ernie told him. "If you forgive me, it looks as though you have a lot on your mind."

"A friend of mine is going through a really tough time." Eric answered. "I'm guessing by now you probably know about Spider."

"Emma mentioned that his father is your friend." Ernie sighed. "It must be a very difficult time for his family."

"It's been difficult for everyone." Eric replied. "I really wish this didn't hurt him like this, but it's his kid."

"He is lucky to have a friend like you looking out for him." Ernie responded. "It is times like this that make us realise how lucky we are for what we have."

"That's true." Eric answered. "I can't say there haven't been difficult times, but all things considered, I guess I've been pretty lucky lately."

"I know that look." Ernie said with a knowing grin. "I presume that means things are going well with a certain delightful lady."

"I guess Gia and Emma tell you everything." Eric said with a smile. "Yeah, things are going pretty well."

"All the bad things don't seem so important when the good things are so good." He stated as he handed over Eric's coffee. "Emma said she is cooking a pumpkin pie. I was really hoping to get the recipe from her..."

"Good luck with that." Eric chuckled. "Her mother gave her that recipe. She won't even tell me...though that might have more to do with what happened last time I tried to help."

"What happened?" Ernie asked him.

"I got the temperature and times mixed up." He told Ernie. "I ended up putting the oven on at 300 for three hours."

"That...that would destroy pretty much anything." Ernie laughed.

"I was lucky I didn't burn the place to the ground." Eric agreed. "Eleanor was the cook in the family for a reason. Anyway, I'll let you get back to your preparations."

"Have a good day." Ernie called after him as Eric left, before turning back to his decorations. "300 degrees for three hours? How could anyone not know that was wrong?"

Back at the school, the final bell rang after a spirited Q&A session, and most of the students getting autographs from the stars of the movie. There were a few stragglers though. Emma dragged Troy over to the desk, where they were signing. Xavier wasn't even looking at them.

"Alright, who do I make it out to?" He asked.

"My girlfriend's a fan." Troy told him. "Make it out to Emma."

Xavier scribbled out the greeting on an 8 by 10 portrait, before handing it to Troy. As he did though, he got a glimpse of him. He looked a little surprised, before smiling.

"Troy?" He asked. "Troy Burrows?"

"Hi Xavier." Troy replied. There was a little bit of a murmur from the others as Xavier got up from his chair. He smiled at Troy.

"Wow, I didn't know you came here!" He stated. "Look at you! You're not the same scrawny kid I met at the dojo!"

"Yeah...seven years will do that." Troy answered. "It's good seeing you."

"Yeah, likewise." Xavier stated. As Troy went back to the others, he could see the way they were staring at him. Jake was the first one to approach the issue.

"Dude! You know Xavier Teach?" He asked him excitedly.

"Yeah, he's like...one of the hottest rising stars in Hollywood!" Noah chipped in.

"Hottest is right...he won best newcomer, best supporting actor, the people's choice award, sexiest smile, best hair..." Emma started to rhyme off, before seeing the way Troy looked at her. "Um...of course, he's nothing compared to you."

"Way to keep that under wraps." Gia told him. "Why did you never mention you knew a huge star?"

"He wasn't a huge star when I knew him." Troy answered. "We were in the same Karate class together when my parents lived in San Francisco."

"Karate class?" Noah asked. "I thought all the papers and magazines said he was a fake."

"Trust me; he wasn't a fake back then." Troy assured them. "He was really good, the sensei had high hopes for him, but then some director offered him a part in a movie. After that, he quit the class and left town. Outside of movies I haven't seen him until now."

"So...he can really do all of the stuff he does in the movies?" Jake asked him. Troy just shrugged.

"I don't know. 8 years is a long time." Troy answered. "All I know is the sensei always bagged on him after that, said he sold out to become a Hollywood phoney."

"And now he's playing the Red Ranger." Emma stated. "No wonder that seems kind of weird."

"Hey, Felicity's gone." Gia stated as the door closed. "I didn't get my autograph!"

"Gia, it's alright, you'll get another chance tomorrow." Emma assured her. "I mean, we are going to be on set with them, I'm sure she'll get a few minutes and...I'm talking to myself."

Gia had already slipped out before Emma could finish, going in search of Felicity.

"I guess we're going to be a few minutes late to the Brainfreeze then." Noah answered with a shrug. "It's just as well, I didn't get David's autograph either. It gives me some time to chase that up."

"David?" Jake asked him. Noah just looked a little sheepish.

"I...may have some appreciation of theatre." He replied. "Um...I'm just going now."

With that, he left in search of the actor.

"Alright kids, who else wants a picture?" Oliver asked, gesturing the kids around him. "I'm taking donations for the children's shelter. Only one dollar for an 8 by 10."

"Well, it's for a good cause right?" Jake said with a shrug as he went to get a picture taken with his counterpart. He didn't even care that he was still dressed like a cow. Oliver meanwhile, just seemed to get a kick out of it, laughing with a warm baritone that seemed totally out of place for someone as large and intimidating as he was. Troy and Emma just joined the queue.

Elsewhere, Gia was still looking around, when she caught a glimpse of Felicity heading into her trailer. She had a bright smile as she ran over. Despite the fact she was sure Felicity probably wouldn't appreciate being disturbed in her spare time; she was determined to get her photograph. As she was about to knock, she overheard a conversation.

"God, this place is awful! I swear to God!" She heard Felicity stating. She looked in through the window, to see Felicity on the phone to someone. "For the love of God, when I asked you to get me out of those stupid zombie movies, I didn't mean for some idiotic production being filmed in the stix!"

Gia pulled back a little.

"I don't care, I pay you your rate, I expect you to do as I say! Your my agent for Christ's sake!" She shrieked. "Yeah, they booked me a hotel suite, but it's in the WORST hotel in the most worthless city I've ever seen! They don't even have a Jacuzzi in the room!"

Gia just shook her head in disgust. Felicity had never seemed like this in her interviews with magazines or on TV. There, she looked classy and approachable; here she was chewing out her agent...because she didn't have a Jacuzzi in her room?

"Seriously, it's just as well the guns in this movie all fire blanks, because I've been in this city an hour and already I feel like shooting myself!" Felicity complained. "Alright, the payment's good, but seriously, you better get me something decent next time!"

As she hung up and slammed her phone on the desk, Gia just shook her head in disbelief and left. She suddenly wasn't sure she wanted Felicity' autograph.

In another area, Noah approached a trailer, seeing Dave's name on the door. He smiled. He even had his trailer named after his character. As he knocked on the door, he heard something inside the trailer. It took a while, but eventually the door opened.

"Hi, David." Noah greeted him. "Sorry, I missed you..."

"It's about time, I sent you for that vodka an hour ago." He stated. Noah just looked confused.

"Uh...you didn't send me..."

"You're not the runner I sent for the Smirnoff?" He asked. Noah just shook his head. "Well...do you have any booze on you?"

"I'm seventeen." Noah informed him. "I...I missed you in class. I was hoping for an autograph."

David just reached for Noah's notebook, and took out a pen, signing a quick autograph. Just then, a runner arrived with a brown paper bag.

"Here's the drink you ordered." He stated. Noah could see from the size of the bag there was more than one bottle in it. David just smiled as he took it, taking out a bottle and inspecting it.

"Dax says we'll be heading to the hotel..."

"He knows where to find me." David replied, before closing the door. Noah just took his notebook and made his way back to his friends.

Meanwhile, at his trailer, Xavier got back to his trailer. As he did, he threw himself into a chair, picking up an apple and taking a bite.

He was happy enough with how the introductions had gone, but he was still angry. He had overheard what Troy and his friends had said. He didn't mean to eavesdrop on them, but hearing Troy mention their old sensei, he had caught wind of the criticism he'd heard throughout his career. He was still considered a fake.

As he looked to his table, he saw an envelope, and picked it up. It seemed rigid, like there was more than paper inside. Opening it up, he found a transparent, yellow plastic card with writing on it. Thinking it had to be a prop of some description, he put it aside. He didn't notice as it started to glow.


	3. Vrak's Script Changes

Allison, Quinn and the Rangers got to the Brainfreeze, finding that Ernie had gone all out for their little private party. He had even gone to the effort of getting a pirate costume for the night. It was a little last-minute, and obviously was a rather cheap one, but no one could blame him really. Ernie rarely did anything for Halloween, which was always a quiet night for him, and had agreed to the party only a few days ago. As she arrived, Emma couldn't help laughing.

"You look great Ernie." She complimented him. "This place looks great."

"I'm grateful to have something to do tonight." Ernie answered honestly as he ushered them in. Noticing Quinn and Allison, he made a mental note that the party would not be exclusively Rangers. Being in on their secret, he knew when it was time to restrict the conversation. "Quinn, it's always a pleasure. And...I don't see you here often."

"I'm here for Jake." Allison stated, offering a hand to Ernie for a handshake. "I'm Allison."

"Well, any friend of my very best customers is a friend of mine." He assured her. "Your costume..."

"Yeah, I didn't get dressed up." Allison said sheepishly, stroking the arms of her wheelchair awkwardly. It was her first Halloween since the accident that had robbed her of the ability to walk. "I made the donation, but I couldn't think of any costumes that um...I couldn't think of anything that worked out with this."

Seeing that Ernie looked a little awkward about this, Jake decided to step in. The chair was kind of an elephant in the room for a lot of people. It was natural that a lot of people didn't really know what to say around her, and didn't really want to bring it up. It did, however, create something of an issue when it was something that couldn't really be avoided. It left the conversation hanging, something Jake had noticed Allison was acutely aware of, and that seemed to trouble her whenever it happened.

"Yeah, well...I guess that makes you the best person to judge the costume contest later." Jake rushed out.

"Well, I better get started on the pie." Emma stated as she made her way behind the counter, a hand-written, battered old book in her hand. The recipe was her mothers, and something of a legacy in her family.

"I can help..."

"That's sweet Quinn, but we've already offered." Noah told her. "Emma's already made it clear that she's the only one that gets to see the recipe."

"It's my mom's." Emma explained. "It's a family thing. I guess someday I'll pass it along, but until then, I have to do it myself."

Troy just headed over to the table, where the others had taken their seats. Jake looked to the others.

"So, what do you think of the film project?" He asked them. "Pretty cool huh?"

"Yeah, talk about an easy A." Jordan said with a smile. "Not to mention we get to see them making a movie. How great is that?"

"Jordan, we're only extras." Gia reminded him. "We'll just sit in the background of some scenes. We won't have any lines or anything. A lot of us probably won't even be in the film."

"Way to ruin the moment." Jake commented in a disappointed tone. "What made you miss killjoy?"

"Did you not get that autograph you wanted?" Troy asked her. Gia just sighed and looked to him.

"I decided not to disturb Queen Felicity." She stated. "She sounded like she was having way too much fun bitching at her agent about the fact her hotel suite didn't have its own Jacuzzi."

"Seriously?" Jordan asked her. "This is the same Felicity that fought dozens of zombies..."

"I think you'll find most of that was her stunt double." Gia told him. "She'd probably be too busy worrying about her nails or something."

"I guess sometimes fans expect too much of the celebrities they look up to." Noah replied as he looked to the others. "When I went to get my autograph from David, he thought I was the runner he sent out on a booze run. By the sounds of the bag he got, he's planning quite a night of it."

"You know, having a little drink isn't a huge..."

"Trust me; it didn't seem like a little drink." Noah told them. "And if the half-empty bottle in his trailer is anything to go by, he'd had a few already."

"Well, at least my...er...at least Oliver was cool right?" Jake asked with a huge smile, only just catching himself before he referred to Oliver as his actor. "Seriously, that guy was still in the class taking pictures when we left! He was a great guy!"

"Not to mention, Xavier, he seemed amazing!" Quinn answered. "I was surprised; he looked a lot bigger on the screen and in magazines..."

"But he's just as cute right?" Allison asked, clutching her notebook, which he had autographed for her tightly. "Not to mention a complete gentleman. He was only too happy to talk to the fans."

"Did you seem his smile?" Quinn asked. "What about his hair? He was just...oh..."

"Yeah, he was really something alright." Emma said a little dreamily from where she was mixing up ingredients for the pie. A small cough caught her attention, at which she looked and saw the guys at the table looking slightly put out. Jake was looking at Allison, and Noah at Quinn. Neither of them seemed too impressed. Troy just looked at her wearily. "Um...I meant...um...oh come on, it's not like looking is a crime right?"

"I'll need to remember that." Jake teased Allison. She just looked to Ernie.

"Um...maybe some drinks would be a good idea." She suggested. Ernie was only too happy to accommodate them.

Meanwhile, in the hotel bar, Jeremy, the actor called on to play the Blue Ranger, David, was enjoying a meal with a few drinks. He was largely keeping to himself. Unlike the others on the production, he was not really being approached as often. Oliver, who was playing the Black Ranger Walter, was famous for a long-running part in a hospital drama series. Henrietta, the Yellow Ranger Catherine, was known for taking part in a lot of kids' movies that were played on Nickelodeon regularly, while Felicity, who was playing Amy, the Pink Ranger, was well known from a series of zombie movies.

David, as he insisted everyone called him during production, was well known, but within significantly different circles. His work was mainly in theatre, which had a naturally smaller fan basis than the others. He had played in some of the most famous theatres in the world, and had worked alongside some of the greats of the stage. His performances had been critically acclaimed throughout his career. At least...they had been.

In recent years, he had found the number of parts he was receiving declining. Directors were passing him over more regularly, and with the decline in theatre audiences, he had ended up swallowing his pride and turning his trade to other media. He was very traditional, and perhaps a little snobby in his outlook on his art. He had always looked down on television series and commercials and suchlike, but with work drying up, and his bank balance along with it, he was forced to do work he would normally never have considered. If he was brutally honest, it was only because Andrew Hartford had gushed over his performances in Macbeth and The King and I that he had accepted a role in something as gaudy and gauche as a superhero movie.

He was a method actor, and very strictly so. He stayed in character at all times from the moment he took on the role to the moment production wrapped, to the point that he didn't even use his real name in his down time. He looked up as a bottle of champagne was placed in front of him.

"I didn't order..." He started to say, before looking up, seeing it wasn't a waiter. The stranger was wearing an immaculate suit, and an expensive looking gold wrist watch. He smiled at him and held up two glasses.

"I did." He responded. "Would you mind if I sit down?"

Jeremy just gestured to him to do so. The stranger looked to be older, somewhere in his sixties, with long, silver hair that he let do its own thing, kind of like he was so rich and important that it no longer really mattered if he spent much time on his appearance. He had slight stubble, and more than a few lines on his face. He opened the bottle with a large crack.

"So, what do I call you?" He asked. "I know you don't go by Jeremy when you're working. I'm a huge fan."

"David." He replied, checking the label on the bottle. "Dom Perrignon 1993, it was a pretty good year."

"It certainly brought about a number of memorable productions." The stranger agreed. "Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Silver. Lionel Silver."

"So, you're a fan, I know that much." David sighed. "So, what do you want to talk about? My work on that God awful sitcom? The pile cream commercial?..."

"While that work was certainly memorable, I think it's beneath a man of your talents." Silver told him. "I remember you doing a magnificent turn as The Phantom in London's West End..."

"You...you really remember that?" David asked him, looking impressed as he took a sip of his drink. The stranger set his down and smiled.

"Of course I do. It was one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen." Silver complimented him. He handed him a card. "I've earned a considerable amount of money with my businesses, but I feel it's about time I became a patron of the arts. I have a production I think you'd be interested in."

"I'm under contract..."

"That won't be a problem. I don't mind waiting." Silver told him. "Just give me a call some time."

As he got up to leave, David just looked puzzled.

"What about...?"

"Consider it an incentive." Silver told him, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll look forward to your call."

As he left, he watched David pouring himself another glass and smiled, before leaving.

Back at the Brainfreeze, the party was in full swing. It was pretty intimate, but definitely fun. With most of the regulars avoiding the place, since they were getting vast amounts of candy for free by trick or treating. As Emma attended to her pumpkin pie, the others were busy telling each other spooky stories. Right now, it was Jordan's turn.

"Then, as they looked up the stairs, they saw the little girl, wearing a clown mask, and holding blood-stained scissors." He concluded his story. The party all looked around each other, before bursting out laughing.

"Dude, seriously?" Jake asked him.

"What?" Jordan asked him.

"That was the plot of 'Halloween 4'!" Allison said, still laughing at Jordan's attempt to pass the movie off as his own story.

"But...I thought...How did you...?"

"Dude, we ALL saw it. It was playing on television last night." Jake reminded him. "It wasn't even one of the good ones, it was totally lame!"

"Never mind, storytelling obviously just isn't your thing." Emma told him as she joined the table. "The pie just needs to bake, it'll be 30 minutes."

"It smells great already." Troy complimented her. "So, while we wait, how about we let the Allison judge the costume contest?"

"Oh...right...um...let me see then." She said, moving away from the table a little. She wasn't sure how to do this; she had only come into the group recently. She didn't know how any of them would take any criticism or judgement. She felt a little like they had put her on the spot. Everyone lined up, ready for her to check them out. "Alright...Noah, I guess since you and Quinn went for a combined costume it's only fair to class you as one contestant. Great costume, not sure it's what I'd consider Halloweeny...but great costumes. Marie and Pierre Curie. Good work."

She saw that they looked happy enough with what she had said as she looked at Gia next. If she was honest, her view was that Gia's costume was only really a cheap white witches' hat with a white dress she probably already had. She wasn't sure if she'd take offence if she said that though.

"Gia...nice white witch...not bad." She stated. She looked to Emma. "I'm sorry, I have no idea..."

"I'm Emily Pankhurst!" She interrupted Allison. "She started the Suffragette movement! It's because of her we have the right to vote!"

"Oh...um...yeah, that's really good." Allison stated. She honestly didn't know enough about the woman to know if Emma's costume was a good representation. Emma just smiled.

"You don't have to worry, you won't hurt our feelings." Emma assured her. "Just say what you honestly think."

"Well in that case, sorry Jordan, but that aloha shirt and shorts? Are you a surfer?" She asked. "Cause...I really don't get it?"

"I'm Logan from 'Dead Island'." He protested. "The video game?"

"Uh...I think that one must have slipped me by, sorry." She answered as she looked to Troy and sighed.

"Sorry Troy, but a checked shirt and a plastic axe to be a lumberjack? That's just lame." She told him. He just crossed his arms and pouted.

"I WAS a cowboy." He said grumpily. "Up until Jake showed up in that get up."

This made Allison smile as she looked to Jake in his cow suit. He'd only gotten the costume because he'd been late to the store and it was all they had left. Still, he'd been a good sport about it. His mood was always light-hearted anyway, but he didn't seem to mind it at all. It was a little impressive that he was more than happy to look like a dork and not care.

"I'm going to have to go with Jake." She stated. Jake leapt to his feet and started dancing as the others all groaned.

"Like I couldn't have seen that coming." Jordan said, throwing his hands up. Jake just smiled.

"What can I say? I'm going to milk it for all it's worth." Jake replied as he sat down, putting his arm around Allison.

"Did he seriously say that?" Gia asked, rolling her eyes. "Lame stories, lame jokes...next year we seriously have to do more preparation."

"Emma, how long until we get that pie?" Jordan asked. "I think I'll need a slice to chuck at Jake."

"You better not!" Emma warned him.

"Trust me; it's too good to throw away." Gia told him. "I've never seen a time there were any leftovers."

As they shared a laugh, Allison took Jake's hand in hers, giving it a little squeeze. Jake couldn't help smiling.

Back at the hotel, Silver was sitting in his hotel room, when he heard a knock at the door. He smiled.

"Come on in." He stated. As the door opened, David, Oliver, Felicity and Henrietta came in. He stood up, looking a little puzzled.

"Where's Xavier?" He asked them. David just shrugged.

"He was in the gym the last time I saw him." He answered.

"Yeah, the guy's a machine." Oliver agreed. "We all work out, but he's been there since we got here. I don't think he's even been to his room yet."

Silver just looked a little irritated. This was something he hadn't banked on. Obviously, Xavier hadn't gotten his message yet. He looked to the other four, then gestured them to follow him as he headed for the door.

It took them a little while to get to the gym, but when they did, they found Xavier there working on a heavy bag alone. He looked to the others as they arrived, picking up a bottle of water.

"Um...hi." He greeted them.

"You really are as dedicated as they say." Silver complimented him. Xavier just looked at him curiously.

"Um...who is this guy?" He asked.

"I'm someone who admires talent when I see it." He stated. "I have to say, the camera doesn't do you justice."

"I'm sorry?" Xavier asked him.

"Well, all those magazines, all those people calling you fake." Silver stated. Xavier looked decidedly annoyed at this statement.

"Alright, whoever you are, I suggest you leave." He told him. Silver just grabbed his arm.

"Just hear me out."

"Get your hand off me, or I swear you'll regret it." Xavier warned him. Silver took his hand off him, at which Xavier went to start wiping himself off with a towel. He snapped around as he saw a flash of light from behind him. Silver had been replaced by Vrak. Xavier looked around, seeing if he could see any cameras.

"OK Dax, if this is enforced method acting, I'm not down with that!" Xavier told him. Vrak just laughed.

"I'm the director now." He replied, snapping his fingers. His four co-stars started to surround him.

"Consider this a casting call for a role that will make sure no one ever considers you a phoney again." Vrak told him as Oliver and David grabbed Xavier, holding him in an impossibly strong grip. Xavier struggled to get free as Vrak came towards him, producing the yellow data card he had ignored earlier.

"You sent that?" Xavier asked him. Vrak just nodded.

"Consider it a prop for your role in the greatest role you'll ever play." Vrak told him as the card started to glow. "Don't worry, this won't hurt for long."


	4. The First Reel

The following day, more than a few students were more than a little distracted. Mr Burley's simple experiment in his morning had a few more disasters than normal. Only Noah managed to complete his experiment without any ill events, since he was normally highly focused on science anyway, while Jake and Jordan somehow managed to start a small fire. Exactly how they managed it still baffled Mr Burley, but after one of the other students ended up with no eyebrows, he called time on the experiments and had the class pull out their books and copy down the experiment from a textbook for the sake of their safety.

By the time Phys Ed. Came around, the last class of the day before the drama students would be called to start filming scenes, the soccer team was preparing for their next match against the Stone Canyon Cavemen. They had to change up their strategy for this one. Unlike Silver Hills, who had a more refined game, Stone Canyon had a very physical and rugged style. They had a reputation for having more yellow cards and warnings than any other team in the league, but they got away with a lot more than they were called on. Most times that Harwood played them; their players had left with more than a few lumps and bruises. Whatever happened, win or lose, Stone Canyon left their opponents knowing they had been in a tough match.

Jordan had gotten to work right away, working to prove he had earned his captain's armband. He generally always had a more physical approach to the game than most of the players. He was a strong kid, and didn't get fazed at all when arms started flying at chest and face height. He was also no angel when it came to figuring out ways to return the favour in ways the referee was unlikely to catch.

As Frank, one of the other midfielders, fought his way past Jordan, flicking the ball into position, Jake slammed it into the net. Jordan just patted his shoulder.

"That's excellent Frank, really good work." Jordan told him. "Remember; don't get worried about getting roughed up out there. Stone Canyon's game relies on intimidation. They can't hurt you too badly."

"Even still, the coach will have extra first aid supplies just to be on the safe side." Jake chuckled. "I remember last time the goalie tried to take my head off!"

"The goalie?" Jordan asked him. Jake just nodded. "Is it the same goalie?"

"He was only a junior last year." Jake informed him. "It's probably the same guy."

"Great, then we know he can be drawn off the line." Jordan stated, looking to the sidelines. "Kid, throw me another ball!"

"It's going to have to wait Edwards." The coach told him. "Principal Kwann's just texted me to remind me that you and Holling are due on set."

"Come on coach, it'll just take..."

"I appreciate the enthusiasm Edwards, but Principal Kwann reminded me that you need to shower. Somehow I think the rest of the cast would appreciate it if you and Holling didn't smell like my old gym socks." The coach interrupted him. Jake noticed that he was saying it a little grudgingly. He hadn't actually told Jordan that the coach had tried to bribe him into using his position as Senior Class President to secure a better budget for the team by offering him the Captain's armband. He especially hadn't told him that he had ended up threatening to tell the principal about his offer unless Jordan got the armband instead. It wasn't as though Jordan hadn't earned it, he was easily the best playmaker on the team, but he didn't feel like Jordan needed to feel like he only got the job through blackmail.

"Alright, we'll pick this up again next time." Jordan told the others. "I guess we're due in make up!"

"We promise not to let the success go to our heads." Jake added as they left. "We'll catch you guys tomorrow for practice!"

A little while later, Dax was on the set, more accurately the food court at the Harwood mall. Jordan and Jake got there, having just gotten out of make-up, taking the positions they had been shown by the stage hands.

"Alright, thank you all for coming, welcome to the magical world of movies!" Dax began, getting a small cheer from the extras on set. "Now, this scene is really simple. All you have to do is sit there, eat and chat."

"Really?" Emma asked. "That's it?"

"That's it." Dax told them. "These guys behind me are all stunt performers."

At that point, the kids all looked decidedly less happy about this. The stunt men were all dressed up like loogies, and the costumes were a little convincing for comfort.

"They'll come in and start messing the place up." He informed them. "All we want you to do is react in whatever way feels natural."

"Yeah...maybe not too natural." Jordan whispered to Troy under his breath. "I think that might ruin the movie a little."

"Wait...isn't that a little...unsafe?" Quinn asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Don't worry; they know what they're doing." Dax assured her. "They'll get close, but they won't actually touch any of you. I know some of you have done some stage combat and stunt training, and we might ask you to do some later, but for this scene, just run."

"So, sit, chat, then scream and run." Gia concluded. "Sounds simple enough."

"Trust me, it wouldn't be the first time I've heard someone say that." Dax assured her. "Then Xavier and the others will do their thing. Just clear the way and leave them to it."

"I think we can handle that." Noah stated. Dax just smiled and shook his head.

"I appreciate the confidence, but trust me; these things hardly ever go down in one take." He assured them. "Alright, start acting natural. Just...do what you normally do."

"So...I guess we just pretend we're in the Brainfreeze." Jake commented to the others. Allison just looked to them.

"Yeah, that's something I wanted to ask." She stated. "I know it's a great place and all that kind of thing, but why do you guys ALWAYS hang out there?"

"It's probably got something to do with all the free and discounted stuff Ernie gives them." Quinn answered. "Noah still hasn't explained why they get all that special treatment though. No matter how many times I've asked.

The Rangers looked around each other, trying to think of something to tell them. Troy didn't really have this issue with Emma, since she was on the team. Gia, on the other hand, didn't have this problem with Cat. Although a lot of people didn't exactly see her as the sharpest tool in the shed, she had actually figured out who they were all by herself some time ago. It meant Gia had someone outside of the group she could talk to about the Ranger stuff, as long as she was careful to maintain the code over the phone or her e-mails or texts. Eventually Gia leant forwards.

"You know what happened with my dad right?" She asked them. They both nodded. It was a pretty huge story at the time. Even in Harwood it wasn't like kidnapping was an everyday occurrence. "Well, at the beginning, when he first found out I was gay he kicked me out of the house. That was before...you know."

"Yeah, so...you moved in with Emma." Quinn stated. Gia just looked to them and smiled.

"Not at first. I still wasn't sure how Emma had taken the news." She admitted.

Allison hadn't actually heard the full story; she only got the abridged version months afterwards. Quinn eventually realised what she meant.

"You and Emma..."

"Yeah...I was into Emma for a long time." Gia admitted. "Fortunately she didn't hold it against me."

"I guess I should just look at it as a compliment." Emma told the others, chuckling a little at the memory. It had been a big deal at the time. Emma and Gia hadn't spoken for a good couple of days over it, Emma especially needing a little while to figure out how she felt about the revelation. Still, now that they both knew where they stood, and both of them had moved on, they could actually talk and sometimes even laugh about it.

"Well, that still left me with the issue of being homeless." Gia told them. "Ernie was kind enough to put me up for a few days."

"Wow...I didn't realise you were that close." Allison commented. Gia just smiled. Before she could say anything else, they heard a loud crash, and some screaming. Troy snapped to his feet, seeing the Loogies flooding into the area.

"Damn it, we must have missed Dax calling action!" Troy told them. "Some on guys, let's move!"

As a table overturned in their path, Jake gestured to Allison to grab onto him. She was only too happy to oblige as he picked her up out of her wheelchair and they all started to run.

"Interesting change of pace huh?" Jordan asked Gia. "You know...running AWAY from..."

"Microphones." Gia hissed quietly. Jordan just looked a little sheepish as he continued to run.

As they came near some Loogies, they had to quickly change direction. Noah was grabbed by one, being just a little too slow, and thrown into some furniture.

"Wait...that isn't in the script." Dax stated, furrowing his brow. He looked across to where another student took an impromptu flight into some trash cans. "Guys, those are extras! Not stunt..."

"Those aren't your guys." Someone stated behind him. Dax just turned slowly, seeing a guy dressed in a Loogie outfit, without the mask. He seemed to be nursing his ribs and had the starts of a black eye. "Someone jumped us and locked us in the..."

"Guys, this isn't cardboard cut-out!" Dax screamed out. "Those things are real! RUN!"

No one needed to be told twice. The extras on set started screaming like mad and ran as fast as they could. As the Rangers assembled, Quinn a little way behind them, and Allison still in Jake's arms, they looked around for somewhere to go and hide. It was a little embarrassing that there wasn't really anything they could do right now. Not without morphing on camera anyway.

"Where can we go that's safe?" Jake asked.

"Anywhere's safer than here." Allison commented.

"So much for an easy A." Noah grumbled.

"Guys, where's Jordan?" Quinn asked. It was only then that they realised she had a point. Jordan must have headed off in a different direction.

"He must have gotten split off from us." Troy answered. As the Robo Knight arrived, he knew that Jordan had to have found somewhere to hide while he changed. At least...he hoped he had, with all these cameras around. "Come on, let's get somewhere safe."

Jordan got to work quickly, taking down the Loogies. He didn't know how or why the Loogies had been sent onto the set, but all that mattered now was making sure everyone got out of the way safely. Dax grabbed one of the cameras and started tracking his battle.

"Dax, what are you doing?" One of the cameramen yelled at him. "We should..."

"Are you kidding? This footage is immense!" Dax called back. "You get to safety; I couldn't create anything like this if I had the entire budget of California!"

Robo Knight was making quick work of the Loogies. He knew that he likely had to deal with this alone, since the others would probably have to ensure everyone got away safely, but somehow he doubted it would be a problem. In his last battle, he had taken down Bluefur almost single handed before he used the Aurora Box. If he could handle him, then he doubted a few Loogies would be much of a problem.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack and a lightning burst ripped through the mall. His systems compensated for the power surge, while Jordan struggled to remain on his feet. He saw that the Loogies weren't so lucky though, quickly falling to the ground and melting away. He didn't know what had caused it, but as he looked up, he had a feeling he was about to find out.

Before him, standing a little way off was a man in black armour, which came into peaks at the helmet and shoulders. He was holding a long spear, which split into two points a little like a stylised pitchfork.

He looked to his right as another came into view. He looked like the first, but his armour had some blue accents, and he was carrying an axe. Around to his left, two more arrived. They appeared to be female, and had accents in yellow and pink. The Yellow one had a weapon fashioned after a slingshot, while the Pink one had a bow.

"OK, nice entrance, I'll give you that." Jordan stated as he faced them. "But...I don't remember seeing your figurines in the Command Centre."

"We're limited edition." He heard a voice behind him say in a slightly tinny, mechanical tone. He turned to see one trimmed in red, carrying a sword. "And there are definitely too many Rangers in this city."

The Pink Ranger fired her bow, knocking Jordan clean off his feet. He got up again, preparing his Robo Blade.

"Alright, I guess we're not going to hug this one out." He stated. So tell me, what do you call yourselves? I find it better to know the names of whoever I'm beating senseless."

"We're the new and improved Psycho Rangers!" The Red Psycho Ranger informed him as they all rushed him.

From their hiding place, the Rangers could only watch in horror as Jordan took on seemingly impossible odds. Although he was good, it didn't take long for it to become apparent he was overmatched.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Gia announced.

"Dax!" Troy stated, seeing the former Blue Ranger still trying to film the action. "Uh...I'll catch up!"

"Troy!"

"I'll be fine, just go!" Troy told them. With that, they had no option but to flee, leaving Troy to try and convince Dax to drop the camera and run.

Jordan found himself introduced to the concrete harshly as Psycho Black flipped him with his spear. He held him in place as Psycho Blue smashed into his chest with the axe. Jordan didn't need his heads' up display to know that his armour wouldn't take much more of this. Pink and Yellow helped Black hold him down as Psycho Red started to approach him, twirling his sword.

"This is disappointing." He stated. "I thought you Rangers were meant to be tough."

"Says the poser that only took me on with four of his friends." Jordan fired back. Psycho Red just snapped his fingers, at which the others let him go. He waved Jordan forward.

"Think you have what it takes?" He asked. Jordan picked up his Robo Blade and lunged for him. Psycho Red dodged aside and kicked his legs out from under him, flicking his sword away with one deft move. As Jordan started to try and get up, he was met with a harsh kick to the face, which brought him to the ground.

"Wow, that was impressive." Psycho Red taunted him, picking up the Robo Blade. He tossed it back to Jordan. "Perhaps you train differently. I was always taught it was best NOT to get your ass handed to you."

Jordan roared as he rushed Psycho Red again, lunging for his exposed back. His swing caught nothing but air as Psycho Red moved impossibly quickly. He was cut down savagely, hitting the ground yet again. Psycho Red pinned him to the ground with his boot.

"I have a message for the other Rangers." Psycho Red told him as the others closed in. Blue and Black held him down while Psycho Red launched himself into the air. Coming down hard, Jordan disappeared just before both of his feet shattered the concrete right under where his skull would have been.

"Damn it." Psycho Pink grunted. "He got away."

"His cowardly mentor saved his worthless hide." Psycho Red corrected her. "The message will be just as effective. The Rangers have been put on notice.

Later, after the kids had made their way home, the Rangers all teleported to the Command Centre to find out what was happening. Jordan was lying on a bench, while Tensou ran some scans.

"How is he?" Troy asked.

"I'll be fine." Jordan replied. Tensou just looked to him.

"You and I have very different definitions of 'fine'." Tensou stated. "His armour saved him, but only barely. Much longer, and he'd have been finished for sure."

"What gives?" Noah asked. He looked to Jordan. "You're the Ranger nerd, who are they?"

"I don't know, I've never seen them before." Jordan told them. "They called themselves the Psycho Rangers."

"Well by the looks of things, that might be a pretty accurate description." Gia replied. "Gosei, what do you know about them?"

"I am afraid they are an enemy I have never encountered." He told them honestly.

"Troy, your dreams..."

"I've never seen them either." He replied.

"Whoever they are, they're definitely strong." Jordan stated. "And they don't like us much."

"Do you think this is Vrak's doing?" Jake asked.

"I'm not sure." Emma replied. "But I don't think we can rule it out."

"Great, a team of evil Power Rangers." Noah grumbled. "What else can he throw at us?"

"I don't know, but let's deal with one issue at a time." Troy answered. "I have a feeling it won't be too long before we're seeing them again."


	5. The Return of the Psychos

Jordan sat on the bench, while Tensou ran his wand over him. He had explained that it was ancient Eltarian technology. As much as they had been a progressive and technologically advanced people, Eltar was not without its history of brutality and violence. They had taken much of their empire by force at one time, and had on more than one occasion, maintained its borders the same way.

Although a single Eltarian warrior in battle armour was usually more than enough to quell most worlds, that didn't mean they didn't sometimes suffer casualties in the field. During the height of their expansion, pretty much anything short of instantaneous death in the field was considered more of an inconvenience than anything, even amputations were treated and the warrior put back into the field in a matter of hours. The wand emitted a unique form of radiation that helped bone knit faster. Even in the armour, Jordan had taken a stiff beating.

"That feels a lot better, thanks." Jordan told Tensou as he finished up. He looked to the others. "Alright, so we know what these guys are called, any ideas on what we do about them?"

"Well, I for one am totally rooting for kicking their butts." Jake told him. "One of them is wearing my colour, and he's totally giving Rangers a bad name!"

"It might not be that easy." Gia responded. "I mean, look what they did to Jordan, and we all know how hard his head is."

"Thanks." Jordan replied sarcastically.

"Are you sure you have nothing on the Psycho Rangers?" Emma asked Gosei. "They said something about fighting the Rangers before..."

"There is nothing in the databases about them on Earth." Gosei informed them. Jordan furrowed his brows.

"Wait...who says they faced the Rangers on Earth?" He asked. The others just looked at him. "I remember, there were some Rangers that weren't based on Earth. It was a long time ago, but...some of them went into space.

"Yeah, I remember something like that." Noah answered. "They turned up in Mariner Bay once, they didn't have a Black Ranger...they had a Green Ranger..."

"Green?" Jake asked, wrinkling his nose at the thought. "Black's so much cooler."

"No, they had a Black Ranger." Jordan replied, heading to the figurines on the wall. He found the figurines of the Space Rangers, and inspected them. As he looked along the line, he saw the Galaxy team next to them. "Wait...we're talking about different teams. There were two teams that didn't operate on Earth...not exclusively anyway."

"Great, so all we have to do is find them and ask how they beat them." Gia said, rolling her eyes. "Mind if we borrow the Gosei Command Ship?"

"That might not be necessary." Jordan answered. He looked to Gosei. "Gosei, I know where we might find the answers."

"I know what you are thinking Jordan." He responded. "I am afraid I cannot..."

"You know as well as I do it's a good plan!" Jordan yelled.

"Um...mind clueing us in on the discussion?" Noah asked him.

"Gosei's got the answers right here, if he'll just let us in to find them." Jordan told them. He pointed to the wall. "The Library."

"You think...?"

"It had memories relating to my family!" Jordan reminded them. "It has memories relating to anyone and anything that's shaped the Morphing Grid on Earth. The collected memories of Eltar, the Rangers, the Rangers' families...everything is right in there."

"The knowledge in the Library is dangerous!" Gosei warned him. "You know that more than most. You are the only human who has ever been inside and left with your life."

"Then I know what to expect." Jordan told him. "I'll just go in, talk to Pythia..."

"Who's Pythia?" Noah asked.

"It's...it's a long story." He stated. "We don't have time for this Gosei. Either I go into the Library here, or we need to take a spin into space to find someone who knows about these guys."

"Well, we can't leave yet." Troy answered, gesturing to the screen. "The Psychos just showed up again."

"It looks like another late night." Gia sighed, looking to Emma. "Mom and Eric..."

"Whatever they want to talk about, it'll have to wait." Emma replied. "They kicked Jordan's butt all over the street..."

"Hey, I'm standing right here!" Jordan complained, only to be ignored.

"We can't go in short handed. Clearly they're too powerful." Emma answered. "Troy?"

He pondered the decision for a moment, trying to analyse their position. He finally made a judgement call.

"Gosei, open the Library." Troy instructed him. "Jordan, are you sure you can get back out?"

"Pythia's a little off, but I think we understand each other." He replied.

"Then just get in there, get some answers and get out." Troy told him. "We'll have to do what we can with the Psychos."

"Go Go Megaforce!" They chorused as they morphed to leave. Jordan just faced Gosei.

"Alright, open the door." Jordan told him.

"The knowledge inside is as dangerous as it is tempting." Gosei told him. "Do not be tempted to wander from your path. Find the answers you seek, and then leave. You are needed here."

As the wall opened up, giving him access to the Library once more, Jordan headed inside. The door closed behind him, at which the shelves raised out of the floor, and started to light up once more. It seemed to extend an infinite distance in all directions, each shelf filled with glowing orbs, each one a memory of a time or place that shaped the present. He had no idea how they were organised, or even what he was looking for.

Just then, there was a flash of light. As he looked across, he saw a woman, looking remarkably like his mother appeared. She was juggling three of the glowing orbs. Jordan just shook his head in disbelief.

"Pythia, I can't believe you're still using my mom's form." Jordan commented.

"I like it. It's kind of like a comfortable set of pyjamas." She replied, concentrating on her juggling. Jordan just smiled.

"Well, at least could you stop juggling?" He asked. "Those are people's memories; shouldn't you treat them with a little more respect or something?"

"I am dead." She replied, catching the orbs, before setting them loose into the air to soar back to their rightful places. "It's not like I have much else to do here. Once you've watched a few million memories, it gets a little old."

"Well, can you at least help me find one?" He asked.

"Well, what's in it for me?" She asked him. "If I remember rightly, last time you were more than a little short with me."

"I was trying to fight to fix my own mind." He answered.

"Well, there's no rush is there?" She asked, walking up to him. "Maybe you can stick around for a while. We could always..."

"Sorry, I'm on a truncated timetable." Jordan told her. "I'm looking for memories of a group that call themselves...the Psycho Rangers."

"Ah, yes, the Psycho Rangers. I've heard of them." She said with a smile. "So, what's it worth to you?"

"Well, what do you want?" Jordan asked her. "I mean, you are already dead. What could you want?"

"So that's it is it?" She asked. "Find this memory Pythia, find that memory Pythia...is that all I am to you? Some glorified file-o-fax to go finding information? I have feelings you know!"

"Really?" Jordan asked. Pythia just looked somewhat less than amused. "Look, sorry, I didn't mean that. I don't make a habit of talking to the spirits of dead people or...whatever it is you are. If I've offended you, I'm sorry."

She just crossed her arms defiantly and pouted. Jordan rolled his eyes.

"Alright, I'm really sorry!" Jordan reiterated. "Please, tell me what you want and...I'll see what I can do."

"Come this way." She said, jerking her head down a corridor. Jordan started to walk, at which she grabbed his ass in a firm grip. He could see the look in her eye. She just shrugged.

"I've been dead for centuries." She reminded him with a shrug. "Do you have any idea how long it's been?"

"Well, um...Pythia, with all due respect, can you please not do that if you insist on looking like mom?" He asked. She just smiled.

"Spoilsport." She replied, before taking him down the corridor in search of the memory he was seeking.

Out in the real world, the Psycho Rangers had made their way right into the centre of town. Most of the damage from Bigs' and Bluefur's last stand had been repaired, but there were still a few buildings under construction.

Psycho Blue walked out into the middle of the street, at which a car screeched to a halt, blaring its horn at him. He just turned to stare at it.

"Hey Buddy, Halloween was days ago!" He yelled. "And what the hell are you doing? I nearly turned you into pavement pizza!"

Psycho Blue just looked towards the car as the irate driver hammered on the horn.

"Yo, do you speak English?" He roared. "Get your ass off the road!"

Psycho Blue brought down his Psycho axe, cleaving straight through the hood and the engine block in one blow. The driver immediately got out of the car and started running. Other motorists were quick to follow.

The Psycho Rangers didn't pursue, instead just waiting in the street. As he heard a scream, Psycho Black turned and saw a little girl locked in the back of a car. Because of the child safety locks, she couldn't get out on her own. He drove a fist through the window, and grabbed the terrified girl, lifting her out. He looked straight at her.

"Find your mother." He instructed her, before setting her down. The little girl ran, finding a woman who was calling out for her, and fled as quickly as she could. He joined the rest of the Psychos, who were all staring at him.

"Vrak said to cause some chaos." He reminded them. "She was no threat."

"Still, this is taking longer than I'd like." Psycho Pink answered. "I am tired of all this waiting."

"I agree." Psycho Red responded. He started rhythmically tapping his sword in the hood of the ruined car. "Oh Ran-gers, come out and play-ay! Ran-gers, come out and play-ay!"

Just then, the Megaforce Rangers arrived. Psycho Red just looked to them, readying his sword.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up." He commented. "Here's the way it breaks down. This town's not big enough for two Ranger teams."

"Then leave." Jake spat in response. "No one's stopping you."

"That's not the way it works." Psycho Red assured him. "You see, Vrak sent us to take you out."

"If you want a fight, don't think it'll be easy." Troy told him. With that, Psycho Red just waved him forward.

"Then let's see what you have." He told them. With a huge cry, both sides rushed forward, falling upon each other in a battle for supremacy.

Back in the Library, Pythia took Jordan to a set of shelves, and gestured to it.

"Here." She told him. "These are the memories you seek."

"OK, so where do I start?" He asked. Pythia just shrugged in response.

"You don't expect me to do everything for you do you?" She asked. Jordan just shook his head, reminding himself that it was folly to expect a straight answer from an Eltarian, especially a dead one. Pythia had said herself that their arrogance over their intellect was their downfall. They didn't give out answers without a reason, fully expecting that if one couldn't figure out the answers themselves, then they were obviously not fit to possess that knowledge. As Jordan reached out, he paused. Another memory orb was calling out to him. He could just tell it wasn't anything to do with the Psycho Rangers...it was a memory of his life. It called out to him.

"You could take it you know." Pythia told him. "Why shouldn't you? It's yours."

"I'll come back for it." He told her. "Right now, my friends need me."

He took the first memory orb, finding himself transported many years into the past, to a planet he didn't recognise. He found the Space Rangers in battle against the Psychos. The Black Psycho Ranger was hammering into the Black Space Ranger with his spear, before pinning him down. He reached out and grabbed his helmet, at which there was a bright flash. Looking around, Jordan found the others doing the same with their counterparts.

"We now know everything about you." Psycho Red informed the Rangers. "We've absorbed your memories, your moves...we now know how to counter everything you have to throw at us!"

Jordan came tumbling out onto the Library floor, looking alarmed. Pythia just looked at him.

"Why did you come out of the memory?" She asked. "Why didn't you learn...?"

"Trust me, what I learned was plenty bad enough." He assured her, before seizing another memory.

Back in the real world, the new Psychos and the Megaforce were throwing everything they had at each other. Psycho Blue had Noah on the ground, standing on his wrist to prevent him recovering his Shark Bowgun. He raised up his Psycho Axe.

"If you're looking for last words, may I make a recommendation?" He asked. "Either this wallpaper goes or I do."

"I think I'll settle for...Ultra Mode!" Noah answered, blinding Psycho Blue with a flash of light as he powered up. He got up, smashing Psycho Blue through a wall with his Ultra Sword.

The others took note, quickly powering up too. Jake pinned Psycho Black down.

"I don't know what you're deal is, and I don't care!" Jake snapped at him. "If you're buying Vrak's shit, then you're obviously bad news!"

"You have no idea!" Psycho Black replied, grabbing Jake's helmet. Jake felt like his head was on fire and screamed out in pain. He felt something invading his mind, running straight through his memories and thoughts, before he was thrown back. Psycho Black got up and laughed. "Emmanuel? Are you seriously telling me your middle name is Emmanuel?"

From where he was battling Psycho Red, Troy could see that the other Rangers were suffering similar treatment. He created some room to think by blasting Psycho Red off him with a power blast from his Ultra Sword. He looked over to where Emma was battling Psycho Pink.

Psycho Pink ducked just under her blast, before responding in kind with her Psycho Bow. Emma screamed in pain as she fell to the ground. It was so quick he almost missed it, but Troy realised that she ducked before the shot was even aimed properly. Like she knew it was coming.

Where Gia was fighting Psycho Yellow, she too was now in serious trouble. Psycho Yellow used her sling to hit her at point blank range, almost taking Gia out there and then as she missed with her swing.

"They...they know our moves!" Troy surmised as Psycho Red leapt back into the street to confront him. "When you grabbed them...that's what they were doing, learning their moves!"

"How can you fight an opponent who knows what you'll do even before you do?" Psycho Red asked him as he came swinging. Troy parried a few blows, but Psycho Red moved at impossible speed, deflecting his return shot, and kicking him to the floor. As he tried to get up, his opponent was immediately on top of him, sending his weapon spinning away. He knelt on top of Troy, pinning him to the ground, his hand raised over Troy's head.

Troy just glared up at him, knowing that his opponent had him dead to rights. He was helpless in this position. However, Psycho Red's blow never came. Instead, he just stared at Troy, like he was sizing him up, before rolling backwards off him. He kicked Troy's Ultra Sword back over to him.

"What...what gives?" Troy asked him. "You had me!"

Psycho Red just held his sword up, beckoning Troy to attack him.

"Troy, we're taking a beating here!" Jake called out. "TROY!"

Troy realised he was right. They knew that it wouldn't be long before the Psychos finished them if they stayed. Reluctantly, he reached for his morpher.

"Tensou, get us out of here!" Troy yelled into his communicator as he ducked an attack.

Without another word, the five Rangers disappeared in a flash, leaving the Psychos alone in the street. The others assembled behind Psycho Red.

"That was a lot easier than I expected." Psycho Pink stated. "I'd have expected more from the Rangers."

"It's just a shame they ran before we could finish them." Psycho Yellow replied. "Now we know their moves..."

"We don't all know their moves though do we?" Psycho Blue asked, approaching Psycho Red. "I saw you, you could easily have taken his moves."

"I could just as easily have taken his life." Psycho Red answered as he de-morphed back into Xavier. "I've fought him. Believe me, he has nothing I want."

"Vrak gave us these abilities for a reason!" Amy yelled at him as she de-morphed. "Do you really think...?"

"I know he said he was leaving the Rangers to us while he concentrates on his little building project." Xavier interrupted her.

"But he's not the Red Ranger for nothing." Oliver answered, coming over to him. "Any edge we can use..."

"Trust me, he has nothing I want." Xavier told them. "I'm already better, and any time he wants to try and prove otherwise, I'll be waiting to prove him wrong."


	6. The Ultimate Price

Troy hung up the phone, before looking to the others. Jordan was still in the library, and they had no way of communicating with him to find out when he would leave. Gosei explained that the communicators didn't work within its walls, and effectively Jordan was on his own while he was there. He looked to the others.

"I called his dad and said he was staying the night with me." Troy told them. "Dax sent us a tweet to tell us all that they're picking up shooting again first thing, and to meet him on set. I said that because my place is closer, he decided to stay with me."

"Well, that covers his absence at least." Emma answered. "So, what about the rest of us?"

"Well, there's not really much we can do until they show up again." Troy replied honestly. "Fortunately it looks like they're more interested in messing with us than anything else. According to Tensou they disappeared shortly after we did."

"So, they're not here to wreck everything, just us." Jake snorted sarcastically. "Well, that's comforting."

"They do seem different to everything else we've faced." Gia stated. "Wait...they're Rangers right?"

"Yeah, it seems that way." Troy said as he wondered where she was going with this.

"Well...is there some way we can sever their connection to the Morphing Grid or something?" Gia asked him. None of them knew how the Morphing Grid worked exactly; they only knew what little Gosei had explained over time. They didn't really know what it was, only that it was the source of all the Morphing powers there had been.

"I am afraid their powers do not come from the Morphing Grid." Gosei told her. "It holds no sway over their powers."

"OK, so pulling the plug isn't an option." Jake answered, looking over to where Noah was sitting, thinking about something. "Noah, are you listening?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking about something Psycho Blue said." Noah stated. "It was when we were fighting, before I powered up into Ultra Mode."

"What did he say?" Emma asked him.

"He suggested last words." Noah told them. "He suggested 'Either these curtains go or I do' as last words."

"Um...OK." Jake said, looking confused. "That's pretty weird."

"I don't know why, but I feel like I've heard that before." Noah answered.

"I thought Troy was meant to be the one that got déjà vu." Gia said as she flicked a thumb in his direction. Troy just glared at her in response.

"Then there's that whole thing about them taking all our moves." Jake stated. "When were the bad guys ever able to do that? How's that fair?"

"It isn't." Troy answered. "But that's something else that's weird. When Psycho Red had me on the ground, he didn't take my moves."

"He didn't?" Gia asked as they all looked to him. "But...why? I mean, he had to have the opportunity."

"He did." Troy told her. "He had the opportunity to do a lot more besides. It was kind of like he didn't WANT to take my thoughts."

"What, does he think you have cooties or something?" Emma asked him. "Why wouldn't he want to read you? You're easily the best fighter among us."

"Don't let Jordan hear you say that." Gia chuckled, shaking her head. Troy didn't answer though. He didn't really know why he wouldn't want to take any advantage he could. It wasn't as though he didn't have the opportunity to do so. If anything, the only explanation would be that he didn't WANT the advantage having Troy's mind would give him.

"Well, it doesn't look like Jordan's coming out any time soon." Troy sighed as he pulled out his morpher. "Come on guys, let's all go home and get some rest."

"Yeah, I need to look good for the cameras." Jake said with a smile.

"Well, I guess the make-up departments can work miracles Emmanuel!" Gia teased him, reminding him that they had heard his middle name. He just sneered at her.

"Ha Ha!" He said in an insincere laugh as they all teleported home.

In her office, late at night, Principal Kwann was watching news footage of the battle between the Psycho Rangers and the Megaforce team. She was horrified to see the current team had been beaten. Back in the day, she could remember that she and her friends had faced a few copycat teams. One time, Goldar had specially trained a group of putties to emulate them, while another time, a monster had created mirror images of them all using magic to create their own team. There was even one time that Lord Zedd had taken some students from their school with the intent on making them into an evil Ranger team.

She, like many former Rangers, kept track of the other teams. It was a little easier in her role as a Secret Service agent, alongside Jason for all those years. Between them, and Zack being elected to the Oval Office, they had a lot of means at their disposal to find the former Rangers, and more importantly, to keep them out of the public eye to aid their efforts. While a couple of teams had been publically known, some intentionally, others...not so much, there was little doubt that most teams worked best if the public at large didn't know who they were and didn't risk getting in the way.

There had been two teams whose identities had become public knowledge by accident rather than design. Both the Mystic Force team and the Space Rangers had, in their final battle, morphed in front of their entire respective towns. It wasn't such a huge deal for the Mystic Force Rangers. It turned out that Briarwood was pretty good at keeping secrets. With the gateway to the Magical Realm in their back yard, there were a lot more interesting things than Rangers in that city anyway, and most of the citizens knew all too well the unhealthy level of attention they'd attract if they let on that half the citizens had vampires, trolls, goblins, troblins or faeries on speed dial. After their final battle, it didn't take much to convince the citizens to keep the news from travelling beyond their city limits. They weren't planning on sharing that with the world.

The other team, the Space Rangers, had their own problem. It was back in the days before Twitter and suchlike, but there were more than a few people with cameras. Following the final battle, news stations were flooded with pictures and footage of them morphing. It was a miracle in and of itself that all those that came before them hadn't been identified. It said a lot about TJ, Cassie, Ashley, Andros, Carlos and Zhane than they hadn't said anything. There was nothing that could be done to protect them though, the secret was out. Their lives were no longer their own, and with everyone knowing who they were, everyone wanted their own piece of the Rangers.

Ashley had gone with Andros and Zhane to KO35. Andros and Zhane had tried to make a life on Earth, but when the media attention wouldn't die down, they realised the only way they could have a quiet life was to go home. Ashley had opted to go with them, and the last time Trini heard anything from her, she and Andros were married and had a couple of kids.

Cassie just disappeared one day. When she'd had one too many reporters going through her trash or camped out on her lawn, she just packed a few bags and left a note saying that she wanted to be left alone. Her fellow Rangers respected her decision too much to pursue her, knowing that she was capable of looking after herself, but the truth was no one had heard from her in years.

Carlos had tried to make the best of his fame, but he found that no soccer clubs would hire him. There was too much speculation that his skills were a result of his Ranger powers. His home team had all the trophies and awards they'd won while he was on the team stripped from them, and no other club wanted to take the risk that any victory they had with him on the team would be worthless. He'd tried running a soccer camp for a while, but any students he got only wanted to talk about his Ranger days, not train. In the end, he had bought a cabin in the middle of the woods near Mariner Bay, venturing rarely into the city to buy essentials. TJ on the other hand had opted for the Nevada Desert, and with the exception of his mission to the moon with the other Reds, didn't go out in public often. The Space Rangers' stories acted very much as a cautionary tale to the other teams as to what could happen if their identities became known.

Trini didn't know the Psycho Rangers; she had never fought against them. She only knew of them by reputation, and sadly that left them with a real problem. The only two teams that had fought them were the Galaxy Rangers, all of whom lived on Miranoi now, and the Space Rangers, most of whom were unable to be reached.

She picked up the phone and dialled.

"Office of the President." Zack's voice said cheerfully. Trini just sighed as she opened her laptop.

"Zack, check your e-mail." She told him. "There's something you need to see."

The line went quiet as Zack presumably went to check his computer. Trini waited to hear what he had to say, hoping and praying that history didn't repeat. She hadn't fought the Psycho Rangers before, but she knew them by reputation. The last time anyone faced them, they returned one Ranger short.

In the Library, Jordan came out of a memory, finding Pythia waiting for him, this time sitting on the floor in the Lotus position. She had a few of the memory orbs, and was busy stacking them into a kind of pyramid on the floor. He coughed to attract her attention, causing her to knock it down.

"Now look what you made me do." She said with a little pout. Jordan just looked to her.

"Those ARE people's memories." He reminded her. "You could show them a little more respect."

"You do insist on taking the fun out of everything don't you?" She replied, waving a hand. The orbs soared into the air, filing themselves back onto the shelves. "So, how's your research going? Did you find out anything helpful?"

"Well, they definitely weren't on Earth, that's why no one knows them here." He replied. "The Space Rangers and the Galaxy Rangers fought them. So far, I know they can absorb the moves of their opponents, and they're insanely powerful."

"So, both teams fought them?" She asked him, looking up at him expectantly. She took her role as the keeper of the Library seriously...in her own way. She always maintained that questions were the most powerful thing, often asking him questions to figure out the answers to them himself. He could see the look in her eyes as she looked up at him. He had a feeling she wasn't...all there. To be honest, he'd had that feeling since he'd first met her, but he presumed that being shut up in the Library, even as a memory construct, must have done something to her mental state. He had to admit going a little stir crazy when he was in the school library for a few hours. To be locked up in one for millennia...he couldn't imagine. "Now, why would that be?"

"They weren't finished off." Jordan told her. "So the Galaxy Rangers had to face them."

"And how did they do?" Pythia asked him. Jordan sucked his teeth.

"From what I saw, they didn't fare much better." He admitted. Pythia just stroked her chin.

"So...neither memory you've seen shows them being destroyed." She summarised. "In fact, in both cases, you're telling me that the respective teams lost?"

"I guess you're saying I'm being warned about how dangerous they are." Jordan concluded. "So...can we just skip to the one where I find out how they were destroyed? You know...maybe find out how to do it for good this time?"

"That's the Jordan I know and love! Straight to the point!" She said with a grin. Jordan could sense the insincerity in her voice. She delighted in calling him and his fellow humans short-sighted and stupid, saying that they didn't understand what they saw in the universe. He just watched as another memory lit up. He went towards it, and touched it, disappearing in a flash of light.

Back at the Goodall house, the girls arrived, finding Eric waiting for them. They knew he'd have heard about the attack by now. Not only had the news been carrying the story, but Cerberus, her father's firm, were responsible for security on the set. He just looked to them as they came in.

"Sorry we're late dad." Emma said sadly. It was something she'd been saying a lot recently. It was one of the things she hated most about being a Ranger, having to keep things from him. It pained her every time she had to look into his face and lie to him or keep the truth from him. She knew it was for his own safety, but she still hated it.

"I saved some dinner; you can re-heat it in the microwave." He told them. "Didn't you get a lift from one of the guys?"

"Most of them were giving statements to the cops." Gia rushed out, thinking of an explanation. "Wayne offered, but they wanted to talk to him."

"We're really sorry." Emma said again. "We know you and Louise wanted to talk to us."

"I guess mom went back to the motel?" Gia surmised. He just nodded.

"We wanted to do this together, but I guess things have been a little crazy lately." He told them. "The thing is, your mom's motel...it's not the ideal situation."

"I guess not." Gia agreed as she sat with him. "I know it's not the worst place in the world, but it's definitely not a home."

"Well, we were thinking much the same thing." He replied quietly as he tried to steal himself for the next part. "We were wondering how you would feel about Louise moving in here?"

Gia and Emma just stared at him, not really knowing how to answer. This was a little awkward for him. They had been going slowly with their relationship, mainly because it was still new to them, but also because they didn't want to upset Gia, and especially Emma. It was a little difficult to approach the subject with them.

"There are three rooms in the house." He reminded them, as a way to try and avoid the implication that they would be moving in together. "It might mean a little shuffling around, but we shouldn't have any worries about space."

He looked to Emma, hoping to hear a response from her. Although it was a little odd for Gia, she had been a lot more open to the relationship. As huge an adjustment as her life had been over the year, the fact was she was actually happy her mom was no longer with her dad. It was a relationship that hadn't been working for a long time, and everyone, Gia included, had to admit that Louise was a lot happier now that her marriage was over.

He understood Emma's reservations. She had idolised her mother for most of her life, to the point that it was strange for her to see her dad with anyone else. She had been very understanding since she'd found out, and for their part Eric and Louise had respected her feelings by agreeing to take things slowly and not force things. Emma eventually looked to him and smiled a little.

"I guess...we have room here. It's not like it makes much sense having Louise pay out all that money for a motel room."

"It'd mean I'd get to see her more often." Gia added. Eric smiled as he heard this.

"You're sure?" He asked them. Gia and Emma just nodded. "Well, Louise is paid up in the motel for the next two weeks, so I guess that gives us a while to figure out how to reorganise and get things ready for her."

"OK, we're going to bed now." Emma told him. "You know...early morning call for the shoot and everything."

"Of course, of course, go ahead." He told them. "Thanks for understanding."

With that, they started to head to bed. Gia put her arm around Emma.

"So, are you really OK with this?" Gia asked her. "I mean, I'd understand if its' a bit weird..."

"I'll be fine." Emma replied, looking to the stairs. "I guess I kind of knew this was coming."

"Thank you." Gia replied, holding Emma tightly.

Back in the Library, Jordan was inside the memory, witnessing the fall of the Psycho Rangers. He had seen them take on not just one, but two teams of Rangers at the same time. The Space Rangers, and the Galaxy Rangers had both been needed to end their threat, taking them down, but he had found that there was yet another chapter in the tale. It seemed that even then, one of them had gotten away.

He watched the final moments as Psycho Pink unleashed the power of the Savage Sword. Cassie, the Pink Space Ranger lay on the ground, her powers drained from her destroyed morpher, while Kendrix, the Pink Galaxy Ranger strode onward through the energy waves pulsing out of the sword.

He had a feeling that this was something he didn't want to see, that he didn't want to know, but he knew he had to find out everything he could.

The rest of the Rangers showed up, being held back by the power waves. All of them were screaming, crying out for Kendrix as she strode forward with every ounce of strength within her. He could smell burning, and knew it was more than just the suit. She was burning alive as she tried to stop it. With a huge swing, she smashed the Savage Sword apart.

The energy dissipated, and the light faded, but the stench hung in the air. Scorch marks were burned into the ground. Where the sword had been, there was a strange light. Eventually, he managed to focus enough to see Kendrix, unmoprhed, but glowing, holding her Galaxy Sabre. She looked up to the others who were clearly close to tears.

"It's OK." She told them. "I'm really OK."

Jordan watched on as her spirit faded, disappearing into the pink Galaxy Sabre, which soared into the sky, disappearing from sight. He didn't need to be able to see the former Rangers before him, to see the looks in their faces to know what had happened. As the image faded, he found himself at Pythia's feet. She looked to him as he looked up.

"So, you know now what you face." She stated. Jordan just nodded in response wordlessly. He now knew more than he ever wanted to. He and his friends knew the dangers they faced any time they went into battle, but here he had seen the nightmare all of them had to have had. For the Galaxy and Space Rangers, they had lived that nightmare. The last time anyone faced the Psychos, they had been defeated, but only at a cost. One of the Rangers had paid the ultimate price.


	7. The Psychos Second Round

The Rangers got to the set the following day, assembling in the park, finding Dax setting up another scene. Even despite the attack the previous day, he still had a schedule to keep, and all the delays were bound to be impacting the Hartford budget. There was a more noticeable presence from the Cerberus team though; obviously Dax wasn't willing to take any more risks with his actors than he had to. It had taken them nearly ten minutes to get past the checkpoint set up at the main gate while a guy checked their ID's.

"Alright guys, thanks for coming back." He greeted them after hanging up his cell phone. He didn't look like he had slept, and there were a few less extras on the set today. Although monster attacks were relatively common in the city now, that didn't mean to say that parents were especially happy about it when their kids were put in danger. Mr Burley had almost lost his job when the Toxic Mutants attacked them at the field trip near the plant, and since the film was funded by the VERY deep pockets of Andrew Hartford, the idea of a lawsuit had to be appealing to some. Not to mention more than a few of them probably didn't want to come back after the attack. "Right, we're doing a very simple scene here. It's a one-shot scene; we just need a few people in the background. Uh...how about you, you, you, and...that group over there. Just...arrange yourselves around the place."

As Troy and Emma went to a spot just under a tree, Jake, Noah and Gia made their way to the middle of the park, Jake dribbling a soccer ball with him. Being extras, they had all been instructed to act as naturally as they could in their scenes, so they had opted to pretty much do what they usually did, and ignore everything else going on.

"Alright, this scene isn't too lively, so don't expect much action." He told them. "In this scene, the Red Ranger Austin, is going to meet up with the Pink Ranger Amy. It's a meeting that none of the others know about, which is why no one else is in this scene. He's here as part of the romantic sub-plot. This is the scene where he's going to tell Amy that he's in love with her."

Troy and Emma just looked at each other and smiled. Although it sounded like most of Dax's ideas were pretty out there, it was occasionally amusing when he got something right purely by accident.

As Xavier came onto the set, Dax started looking around.

"Uh...Xavier? Where's Felicity?" He asked. Xavier just shrugged.

"I don't know." He responded. "She was in her trailer last time I saw her. She was saying she wasn't coming out until the guy got back with that gerbil of hers."

"It's a Pomeranian." Dax sighed, rolling his eyes. Felicity was more than a little bit of a pain in the ass on the set with her behaviour. "Alright, who has the dog?"

"I do." One of the security team called out, carrying a large ball of fluff in his arms.

"Kyle?" Wayne groaned. "What the hell are you doing?"

"That Amy chick just gave me her dog and told me to take it for a walk." He told Wayne. Emma chuckled a little, remembering him. Months ago, it was Kyle who eventually took down Spider at the plant, leading to his arrest. Her father had rewarded him with an advanced training course to further his duties in the company. It seemed like he had come back, and been assigned to this team.

"Why the hell are you walking her dog?" Wayne sighed, looking at him.

"She said she'd get me fired if I didn't!" Kyle protested. Wayne just shook his head in disbelief, taking the furball from him, which started yapping bad-temperedly as he handed it to a crew member.

"Kyle, I'm the only one that can hire and fire security team members." He reminded him, looking to the team member. "That's what teamsters are for. Here, take this...thing...back to Her Highness...and what the hell is that smell?"

"The dog...kinda puked on me." Kyle answered honestly. Wayne just threw up his hands.

"Well...go and get changed then!" He told him. "Thanks for this job Eric."

"Well, now that's dealt with, maybe we can finally get to film a scene?" Dax suggested, sounding a little exasperated. "OK, first positions everyone."

As they set up, Xavier sat down at a picnic table. Amy finally arrived on the set, looking somewhat less than happy.

"OK, everybody ready?" Dax asked. "Fine, then...action!"

Amy walked over to the bench, taking a seat with Xavier. She looked to Xavier and smiled, flipping her hair back over her shoulders.

"Amy, thanks for coming." He began a little nervously, looking to her with a smile. "Um...you look great."

"Thanks, I just finished my spin class." She replied. "So, what's up? It sounded important when you contacted me on my communicator. Is it Ranger business?"

"It's not really." He told her honestly, stroking the back of his neck nervously. "It's just...I really wanted to see you. After everything that happened...I wanted to check and see if you were OK."

"Well, that's sweet." Amy said with a smile. "I mean, the Ranger thing is tougher than my yoga class, but..."

"Listen Amy, I really need to talk to you about something." Austin replied as he took her hands in his own. "The thing is...I really need you to know..."

"Austin...maybe some things are better left unsaid." She suggested.

"The thing is, that isn't an option anymore." He assured her, reaching up and beginning to stroke her hair. "I'm crazy about you Amy, I have been since the first time we met."

As he started to draw closer, she tried to stammer something out. Austin pulled her into a long, deep kiss, before parting from her, looking into her eyes.

"But...what about the others?" She asked. "What about...?"

"I don't care." He replied with a grin. "With the Earth in danger, we need to hang on to anything that's important to us."

Emma looked to Troy, who just shrugged and shook his head.

"I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" He assured her in a whisper, remembering having almost the same conversation with her when they first got together. Just then, the set was flooded by Loogies...this time though, they all came from the crew trailer, so they knew that these really were stunt performers.

Xavier and Felicity immediately sprung into action, getting up from the table. Xavier performed a quick hand-spring over the table, propelling himself into two of the Loogies, taking them down with hard kicks. As the extras all fled off the set, clearing the way, Jake and Noah watched Xavier, looking to Troy.

"Wow...um...I thought he was fake." Jake commented. "You said..."

"He was good when I knew him." Troy said, watching Xavier with interest. He had listened to their old sensei all those years ago when he started to rant and rave about Xavier's decision to quit the dojo and go into movies. He had heard him go on and on about how great Xavier could have been if he hadn't sold out, and gone on to become a Hollywood phoney. Seeing him in action though, he had his doubts.

"There's no rigging, no wires...his outfit doesn't leave any room for any special effects devices." Noah rhymed off. "There's only one explanation...all of that's down to him."

"He's legit?" Gia said with an impressed smile. "Wow, he is good."

As Felicity and Xavier took down the last of the stunt crew, a buzzer sounded.

"Cut!" Dax called out with a smile on his face. "Alright folks, that was amazing, one take! Good work everyone."

As the buzzer sounded, Felicity looked to Xavier.

"Did you have onions for lunch?" She demanded. "I HATE onions!"

"I had a few on my sandwich!" He protested. "A sandwich I only had because you were late on the set...AGAIN!"

"Whatever, just...don't let it happen again!" She responded coldly, fobbing him off as she left. "And where's the idiot who walked Princess? She's totally a mess! I'm going to have to call her groomer!"

"Wow, you're a better actor than I thought." Gia commented as Xavier shook his head in disbelief. "How do you play romantic scenes with...uh...someone who uh..."

"Someone who's a complete pain in the ass?" He responded. "Trust me, it isn't easy."

"Hey, there's Oliver." Jake stated as Dax started to clear up the set, preparing for another scene. "I promised my cousin I'd get a picture."

As he ran over, he tapped Oliver on the shoulder. The massive man turned to look at him.

"Yeah, what is...?" He looked at Jake, and just paused. His face slipped more than a little. In their earlier battle, he had taken Jake's thoughts, read his mind to figure out how best to deal with him. Looking at him now, he felt an incredible fury building up in him. The power Vrak had forced upon him existed purely to destroy him. He felt compelled to lash out, to destroy Jake where he stood. Seeing his face before him, the one that was now imprinted in his mind, only Vrak's instructions not to engage unless he ordered him to stopped him.

"Um...my cousin is a huge fan." Jake told him. "He'd really love it if you would give him a picture."

"I took all the pictures I wanted to yesterday." Oliver said gruffly. "You should have thought about it then."

"Please, he's seven years old." Jake told him. "He's the same age as two of your god kids, and his birthday's coming up. Please, just one picture and I'll be the best cousin ever."

Oliver just smiled, before striking a pose. He loved kids, it was for that reason he had six god children, and it was for them he had taken the part in the film. He wanted to destroy Jake, but the thought of making a kid happy, especially a fan, that was too much for him to pass up.

"Alright, just a couple." He replied. Jake smiled and waved over Emma.

"Hey, Emma, you have your camera right?" He asked. "Mind if I take a couple with you? My cousin will never believe I met you if I don't."

"Who am I to say no?" Oliver asked as he put a massive arm around Jake. Emma starts snapping some pictures as Jake winced in pain.

"Um...that's a little tight..."

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Oliver told him with a smile. Not yet at least, not until Vrak gave the order.

Back on the Warstar ship, Vrak watched as his Loogies finished gathering all the materials he needed. He couldn't believe that the next stage of his plan was close to fruition. Pulling up an image on his screen, he saw some of his Loogies assembled near Harwood Harbour, gathering his materials. Some of them had already begun assembly. He knew it was only a matter of time, before Malkor emerged from his cocoon, and he needed to be ready when he did. He needed somewhere to go, a new base of operations, and now he had the materials he needed, all he needed to do was buy some time to assemble it. Soon enough, he would make his move to overthrow his old master.

He punched a few keys on his control console, activating his control over the Psycho Rangers. As he turned on a viewing screen, he had a Loogie bring him some snacks.

"Let the show...begin." He stated as he pressed a button.

On the set at the park, Dax was setting up for a new scene when Jordan finally arrived. He was looking around frantically for the others. When he finally found them, he ran over to them.

"Jordan!" Gia greeted him as he arrived. They pulled him aside, at which Troy looked to him.

"Alright, what did the Library tell you?" Troy asked him.

"It's not good news I'm afraid." Jordan told them. I didn't find out much, but what I did is pretty worrying. They are insanely powerful."

"Yeah, like we haven't figured that one out." Jake said sarcastically.

"No, you don't get it." Jordan told him. "The last time they were active, it took two teams to finish them off. Both the Galaxy and Space Rangers were needed to take them down. If they have that kind of power this time, it's going to be the biggest thing we've faced."

"But they were beaten." Noah said with a smile. "Then we can do it again. How were they beaten last time?"

"They were destroyed." Jordan told them. "But...that's the part that's worrying."

"Why?" Jake asked.

"The last time they were beaten, it took two teams." Jordan reiterated. "But...even that wasn't without a price."

"That doesn't sound good." Troy stated. Jordan shook his head.

"Last time, a Ranger died." He told them honestly. All of the Rangers just looked worried sick hearing this. Although they all knew the risks they took by taking on this mission, and they knew that some teams hadn't exactly made it through unscathed, it was entirely different hearing that one team had suffered that loss. It made each of them horrified to think that they now faced a foe that had accomplished that before.

Before anyone could say anything further, there was a flash of lightning, sending everyone to the floor, and smashing equipment. The Rangers all looked up to see the Psycho Rangers standing before them.

"Everyone, get out of here!" Wayne called out as he and some of the Cerberus guys pulled out pistols, levelling them at the Psycho Rangers.

"Please, do you really think that's going to work?" Psycho Red asked him.

"No, but it'll probably slow you down at least!" He replied as they started to open fire. The Psychos stood, bullets rebounding off their armour as people fled. Psycho Pink unleashed a storm of energy arrows, taking down the security team. They all fell to the ground and stopped moving. Everyone started running, at which the Rangers were left alone.

"Great, you're back." Jake grumbled. "Have you ever heard of the term closed set?"

"Call it a cameo appearance." Psycho Pink stated. "So, are you going to morph or what?"

"Morph?" Psycho Red asked, looking to her. She just nodded.

"Well, you heard her guys." Troy replied, looking to the security team, who he was sure were unconscious. He pulled out his morpher as the others joined him. None of them noticed Wayne stirring, and starting to come to.

"Go Go Megaforce!" They chorused as they morphed, ready for battle. They quickly powered up to Ultra Mode as they rushed to the attack. Troy faced off against Psycho Red as he pulled out his sword.

"So...You're the Red Ranger?" He asked, starting to circle him. "Little Troy Burrows, the Red Ranger? Now I know I was right about not needing your moves."

Troy just furrowed his brows, hearing this.

"You...you know who I am?" He asked.

"I do now." Psycho Red answered as he faced off against both of his opponents. "One Ranger or two, it doesn't matter. I'll take you both down just the same!"


	8. Out of Character

Jake found himself flailing in panic as Psycho Black grabbed him and hoisted him directly over his head, beginning to press him in an impressive display of raw power.

"Afraid of heights Black Ranger?" He taunted him. Jake just continued to thrash around.

"Uh...not so much heights." Jake replied. "It's more the sudden stop when you...WHOOOOAAAAA!"

As Psycho Black launched him through the air, he was send flying at speed into a tree, hitting it with a sickening crunch. His suit and his armour protected him, but even though it didn't hit like running into a tree at sixty miles an hour...it sure as hell didn't feel like a marshmallow. He started trying to shake the cobwebs free.

"Fall." He spluttered out the final word of what he was saying. He looked up in time to see Psycho Black launching himself into the air, his spear in his hand. Seeing it in his right hand, he instinctively moved to his own left, expecting Psycho Black to cross over. He saw it all the time on the soccer pitch. Just like being right or left handed, most players were right or left footed, and figuring out which was a good way of figuring out where the ball would go. A right footed player, by virtue of the way his body would naturally swing when he took a shot, tended to drive the ball to the left, while left-footed players did the opposite. It was natural for people to cross their own body. As he did this though, Psycho Black swiped to his own right, smashing it into him, sending him spiralling.

"Not a bad idea Holling." He stated. "It's just a shame I know a lot more than just your pathetic little soccer tricks."

With that, he sent Jake flying high into the air with a penalty-style kick to the ribs, before scything him down again with his spear. He turned to Psycho Blue. "How are you doing over there Blue?"

"Not too shabby if I do say so myself!" He yelled, hammering into a prone Noah with his Psycho Axe. He looked into the heavens, bellowing out a huge laugh. "The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit: I cannot live to hear the news from England; But I do prophesy the election lights On Fortinbras: he has my dying voice; So tell him, with the occurrents, more and less, Which have solicited. The rest is silence."

"I don't know what's worse." Noah grumbled, summoning up his Shark Bowgun behind his back. He gripped it tightly. "Getting beaten by that axe, or having to listen to your soliloquies."

"Then let us end this." He replied. Noah just nodded.

"Lay on MacDuff." Noah beckoned him. Psycho Blue just let out a huge roar.

"Right playwright, wrong play!" He yelled angrily. He brought down his axe one more time, but Noah blocked it with his Ultra Sword. He snatched around his Bowgun from behind his back. Psycho Blue just gulped.

"But...you won't." He stammered. "If you fire it at this range..."

"By the way, Hamlet died too!" Noah stated as he pulled the trigger. Psycho Blue was right about one thing, at point-blank range, the blast caught both of them. Although most of it was focused in Psycho Blue's direction, Noah knew when he came up with the idea that he would take damage too. As he tumbled away, he couldn't stop his ears from ringing, and his vision was blurry.

"What?" Psycho Pink yelled as she strangled Emma with the body of her Psycho Bow, seeing Psycho Blue lying on the ground unmoving. "But...but how?"

"Noah!" Gia called out, only to take a hit in the back from Psycho Yellow's Psycho Sling. Psycho Yellow, Pink and Black rushed over to Psycho Blue's side, finding him limp, and barely responsive.

"Red!" Psycho Black called out as he tried to revive the barely-conscious Psycho Blue. "Blue's down!"

Psycho Red meanwhile was locked in battle with both Troy and Jordan. It was a tough battle, but one he relished. Both of his opponents were good, that much he already knew, but right now he was managing to keep pace.

Troy, he knew all too well. Xavier had been in the same Karate class when they trained together. Since then, just like himself, it looked like Troy had taken on other styles and arts, but there was something consistent about him. He always put most of his emphasis on technique. Every move was clinically precise, clearly drilled thousands, possibly millions of times until it was exactly right, exactly the way it should be. What it did mean though was his moves, even without reading his minds, were occasionally predictable. Because Troy had seen them millions of times, so had Xavier...in fact Xavier had probably seen them more times than Troy had. One of the first things Xavier had learned on set was when he had to do a fight scene with a former pro wrestler from Miami. Not everyone used correct technique. Sometimes, the hardest moves to predict were the ones that went against what he had been trained. He'd earned a few lumps with that realization, learning to adapt to the situation.

As he kicked Troy away, he wasn't able to press the advantage. Jordan was right on top of him quickly, just like Troy was when Jordan got into trouble. Xavier found Jordan very different from Troy. Although he recognized a lot of his moves, and could identify the grounding of his style, it was very different. The rough edges were evident, his technique not as polished, and his mentality more than a little different. He was willing to walk through a punch or a kick to set up one of his own moves and press an advantage. His style was obviously taught differently, like it was taught more for destruction than precision. He staggered backwards as Jordan slammed a fist into his face. He ducked down, at which Troy soared over him, raking across Xavier's chest with his Ultra Sword, putting all the power behind it he could.

"You...you need your friends to do your fighting for you?" Psycho Red spat in disgust. "Are you afraid to take me yourself?"

"I'm not afraid." Troy told him. "But making sure you can't hurt anyone else is more important than my pride."

"Red, let's go!" Psycho Black reiterated. Psycho red looked to his team, and then back to Troy. He summoned up a flame around his sword blade. Jordan and Troy saw the flame blast coming and threw themselves out the way. It hit some nearby trees, that some kids were cowering under. Burning shrubbery started to fall around them, causing them to scream as it trapped them underneath.

"Bug out!" Xavier instructed his team, horrified by what he was seeing. The kids...they weren't his target. They were just...there. Sure, they had caused destruction before to draw the Rangers out, but they didn't have any plans to hurt anyone else. The power within them only drove them to destroy the Rangers. Seeing the opportunity to run before any more people could get hurt, he decided now was the time to withdraw. "We can come back for another round. We'll catch you around Rangers!"

With that, they all disappeared, all of them that was, except for Psycho Black. He stood and watched as the Rangers, true to form, ran to help the kids and make sure they could escape. Seeing a young girl, maybe only six years old cowering nearby, he saw some burning branches falling towards her. He ran over, snatching her up in his arms, turning his back into it as the flames washed over him. He looked up in time to see the Rangers turning, hearing the tree falling. They saw him with the girl in his arms.

Throwing off the burning tree, he set her down on the ground once he satisfied himself she was safe, before teleporting away.

"What...what just happened?" Jake asked as he and Gia smothered many of the flames with Earth, while Jordan froze others. "Did...did he just save that kid?"

"Noah, are you alright?" Emma asked as she helped Noah to his feet.

"I'll tell you...as soon as there stops being three of you." He responded weakly as he steadied himself against a tree.

"We need to get back to the Command Centre." Troy told them. "Something different happened this time, something that made them withdraw. We need to figure out what."

With that, after satisfying themselves that the Cerberus team were recovering enough to take care of the people still on the set, they teleported back to the Command Centre.

"Alright, set up a perimeter." Wayne instructed his team. "Call in medical support, I want everyone taken to hospital for a checkup, and I do mean everyone. Kyle?"

"Yeah boss?" He asked.

"You take the lead here." He told him. "I need to call Eric, let him know what happened here."

As the team got to work, Wayne went into his command trailer, and sat down on a chair. He ran a hand through his hair and started to take some deep breaths. He had to phone Eric to let him know what was going on, it was better he hear it from him than a tabloid, but what exactly could he tell him? Did he dare to tell him what he had seen? He doubted his sanity for even thinking it.

His family life was pretty much falling apart at the seams. His son, wasn't just back in Juvenile detention on terrorism charges, but as of a couple of weeks ago, was now in a psychiatric unit, having said barely a word since some stranger had dumped him back in Juvenile Hall. The details hadn't been released to the press, but Wayne already knew the story, that the stranger had been wearing armour that shrugged off the gunshots like they were nothing, and he teleported out just as the Rangers did. Had one of them done this to him?

Now, his situation was complicated further. He wanted to deny it, to pretend he didn't see it, but moments before the battle, he could swear he saw Emma and Gia, his best friends' daughters, confronting them, then a flash of light...and then the Rangers in their place. Was it possible that his best friends' kids had done this to his family? How could he live, knowing that the very reason his family was falling apart around him was because of the girls he'd known almost as long as his own? Reluctantly, he scrolled through his contacts, finding Eric's number.

Back at the Command Centre, the Rangers were gathered around the medical bench yet again. This time, it was Noah needing treatment. Tensou was checking over him.

"Well, it's not a concussion." Tensou assured him. "It looks like you just got knocked goofy as you humans say."

"With that hair, I'm not surprised." Jordan chuckled, ruffling his afro playfully. "It probably acted like a big old airbag inside his helmet."

"Dude, seriously? You're ragging on my hair?" Noah asked him. Jake just shook his head.

"What the hell were you thinking anyway?" He asked. "You know how powerful that Shark Bowgun is, why did you...?"

"Because it was the last thing I'd ever think to do." Noah answered honestly. They all just looked at him curiously.

"Uh...you're going to have to run that one past me again." Troy stated.

"The Psycho Rangers...they all read our minds, took our moves right?" Noah asked them. "So I..."

"You used a different playbook!" Gia interrupted. "Like when Kasparov beat Deep Blue. He used rash, unexpected moves to throw it off."

"I just realised that the only way I'd be able to catch him off guard would be to do something I'd never do." Noah replied, groaning as he got off the bench. "I'm kind of wishing I'd thought it through more."

"Wait...that's pretty good." Jordan told him. "You know...apart from the whole blowing yourself to Kingdom Come part of the plan. Seriously, did you want to be the second Ranger these guys killed?"

"I wasn't thinking that far ahead." Noah admitted sheepishly. Jake slammed a fist into a table.

"Man, I am so OVER being five steps behind these guys!" He yelled. "They know everything about us, but in return we know almost nothing about them?"

"We know that they're powerful." Gia grumbled. "But...that's about it."

"They fight differently than last time." Jordan told them. "I saw it in the Library. Last time they fought differently. They were different."

"Different how?" Jake asked him.

"I don't know, it was like...like they were different people." He told them. "It's like...Pink was more malicious, and Blue...he was just completely batshit..."

"Maybe they are different." Noah suggested. "What, someone kept the suits in mothballs for fifteen years; you don't think they might have given them to someone else?"

"They sure didn't fight like old guys." Gia agreed.

"You said that Blue was batshit, like properly psychotic last time right?" Noah asked Jordan. "And this time he's quoting Hamlet?"

"Yeah, because nobody crazy ever quotes the classics." Jake chuckled. "Hannibal Lectre anyone? And what was with that thing he said to you last time about last words? About him going or the curtains? What was that...?"

"Wait...either those curtains go or I do?" Jordan asked. "Those were supposedly the last words of Oscar Wilde."

Everyone in the room just stared at him.

"YOU can quote Oscar Wilde?" Gia asked him, sniggering a little.

"I'm not a complete meat head you know!" Jordan protested. "Dad made me read a lot of the classics. I guess he wanted me to be all classy and look all refined for all his friends."

"OK, so he has a thing for Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde...classic British playwrights." Noah stated. He then thought of something. "Wait, I just...I need to check something out."

As he pulled up footage on the viewing screen, he played footage of the Psycho Rangers' arrival. He ran the images, checking on the destruction they were causing, and pulled in on one in particular.

"Check this out." Noah told them. He showed them footage, which showed Psycho Black tearing off a car door, before yanking a kid out of a car, and letting her run away. Jake just furrowed his brows.

"He saved that kid...just like he saved the kid at the park." He replied. "So...he's a nice psycho?"

"Maybe that's part of his own personality coming through." Gia suggested. "Like Psycho Blue's taste in literature."

"And Psycho Red said he knew me...but he didn't read my mind." Troy concluded.

"Yeah, but the last thing we need is him gaining any more advantages." Jordan replied. "Even without your moves, he was giving both of us a run for our money."

"He was good." Troy replied. "He was good...even without my moves, maybe even better than me."

"Wait, I may have been hit in the head a little too hard...but I'm having a crazy thought. I think I know who these guys are." Noah told them. "The Blue guy has a thing for classical British playwrights. The Black guy goes all out to help kids..."

"The Red guy has crazy mad Martial Arts skills..." Jordan carried on, seeing where Noah was going. "Noah..."

"Can either of you let us in on your thoughts?" Emma asked them.

"Xavier has insane skills. Oliver just lives for kids, and David..."

"You seriously think Vrak recruited a bunch of actors to take us on?" Gia asked.

"Having our big screen counterparts kicking our butts?" Emma said with a shrug. "It does sound like his sense of humour."

"It also presents us with another problem." Troy told them. "If this is true, how are we meant to stop them without destroying them?"

Meanwhile, on the Warstar Ship, David was sitting on a bench, rubbing the back of his head as Vrak came in. The others were gathered around him. David had a bottle of vodka in his hand, and took a long swig.

"Medicinal." He insisted to Vrak as he saw the look of disgust in his face.

"I thought you were the great and powerful Psycho Rangers!" He yelled at them.

"We have their powers, but we're not them." Oliver told him. "And in case you hadn't noticed, it's not like the Megaforce Rangers are a pushover!"

"Also, in case you hadn't noticed, there aren't just five of them." Felicity complained. "That Robo Knight and the Red Ranger..."

"I can handle them." Xavier assured her.

"I gave you the powers of the Psycho Rangers, and you come back empty handed." Vrak scoffed. "I even give you the power to take their moves, so that nothing they can do can take you by surprise, and still all I hear are excuses!"

"Even with their moves, they can surprise us." David told him, taking another long swig. "Trust me, that science nerd knew exactly what would happen when he fired that gun, and he did it anyway."

"Well, I'm too close to the completion of my new base of operations to have you all screw it up now!" He told them. He pressed a button on a device, forcing all of them to their knees as pain flared up in their heads. "I'm giving you a little power boost. Obviously I've left too much of you and not enough of the Psychos in your psychological makeup. This time, you go back, and you fight to the finish."

"And what about Robo Knight?" Felicity asked. "What will we do about him?"

"Leave him to me." They heard a tinny, feminine voice saying. They all strained to see the other figure in the shadows.

"Who...who's that?" Oliver asked.

"It looks like I'll have to debut my latest ally a little early." He told them. "Ever heard of the term fight fire with fire? Well...let's just say that to fight a robot...you send one of your own."


	9. A New Debut

Later at night, Eric was leaving the office with Louise, heading for the Brainfreeze to pick up something for dessert. Despite all the warnings, they found that working in the same firm wasn't really negatively impacting their relationship. While it was true that Louise working in the admin department of Eric's firm meant they technically worked together, it wasn't like they were ever constantly in each other's faces. Eric's loathing of being cooped up in an office, combined with his hands on insistence in dealing with clients as much as possible directly, meant he didn't spend a whole lot of time around the admin office.

He was on the cell phone, having a rather strained conversation with one of his PR guys. They had already heard about the attack on the movie set, the second since they had taken the job, and were already working on how exactly they were going to deal with the inevitable press coverage afterwards.

"Alright...Alright, thanks." He groaned as the guy on the other end finished, and hung up the phone. Louise just looked at him.

"Problem?" She asked.

"Yeah, no more than usual unfortunately." He told her. "Elaina's working overtime on this; she was just gently reminding me of the overtime rates...again."

"Surely it can't be that bad?" Louise asked her. He just looked at her sceptically.

"Do you have any idea how much the Ranger thing has affected my outgoings?" He asked her. "I just got the renewal in for the company medical insurance. It's nearly double last year's premium!"

"Well...I guess a fair number of your guys have been getting treatment lately." She conceded. He just shook his head.

"Not to mention my PR guys." He told her. "I swear, the Rangers are doing a good job, but I won't be sorry to see them finish everything and disappear. At least...my bank balance won't."

"Is it really bad?" She asked him. He just looked to her and smiled.

"Well, we're in no danger of starving to death, but I might have to wait a while for the holiday home in Cancun." He answered. As he drew in close to her, he noticed Wayne sitting in a bar a little way off. He was a little troubled by this. It wasn't like Wayne to just walk off a job, certainly not when there had been an attack at his post.

"What is it?" Louise asked, before following his gaze. "Is that...is that Wayne? What's he doing here?"

"Go and get something." He told her, gesturing to the Brainfreeze.

"Eric..."

"I'll deal with it." Eric assured her. He knew that it wasn't in Wayne's nature to just walk off and leave behind his responsibilities. They had both been in the same Marines unit in the Middle East, where it wasn't just an admirable quality, it was a necessity. People's lives relied on each other. If he had walked away now of all times, to go drinking of all things, then there had to be something seriously wrong. A guy that stuck around when they only had a clip of ammunition between them under heavy artillery attack wasn't the kind of guy to just turn and walk away when he was needed without reason.

He headed into the bar as Wayne ordered another drink. He held up a hand.

"I'll have the same." He told the bartender, who went to get him a drink. He pulled up a stool. "Wayne...what are you doing here?"

"I'm having a Jack and coke." He replied. "Then when that's done, I might just have another."

"Wayne, that's not really what I meant." Eric told him. Wayne didn't say anything in response. He just sat and continued drinking. He was completely lost in his own thoughts over what he had seen only an hour or so previously. "Who did you leave in charge?"

"Kyle can handle it I'm sure." Wayne told him.

"Kyle?" Eric asked. He liked the kid, he really did, but he wasn't especially fond of this answer. Kyle was arguably the most qualified for the position given his recent training, but he'd only been back a few weeks from that. Eric didn't doubt the kid's ability, but he would have preferred if he had some back-up and supervision from someone with a little more experience to look over his shoulder. He took a deep breath. "OK, I guess its good experience for him."

He looked to Wayne, who was still just drinking. He took a deep breath.

"Wayne, do you need a little time?" Eric asked him. "Is this about Mikey?"

Wayne didn't say anything. He just looked at him, before turning back to his drink. It was about his son, his Mikey...otherwise known to most of the town as the convicted terrorist "Spider". His life had somewhat imploded lately, the last year especially being one of the worst of his life. His relationship with his son had suffered as a result of all the time he spent with Eric setting up Cerberus. He had to admit for long enough he really didn't get Mike or what he was into, who he was hanging around with. It was as big a shock to him as it was to anyone else when Mikey was unmasked as the mastermind behind the chemical plant attack.

Since then, he'd gone through so much more though. Only weeks after his conviction, he'd escaped from Juvie and disappeared. At least...that's what a lot of people said. However, he hadn't just gone on the run, he'd altogether disappeared for months. No one saw or heard anything from him, and Wayne had tried everything he could to find out anything about where he could have been. When he finally did turn up, he was in the hands of a masked stranger with a lot of powers that seemed all too much like a Power Ranger to be a coincidence.

"Wayne, if you need some time, just say so." Eric told him. "It's going to be tough, but you know I'm here..."

"Yeah, you're here aren't you?" He asked. "You've always been there, right back to our days in the corp."

"Yeah, that's right." Eric replied, sounding a little surprised.

"Just like you've always been there for my family right?" He asked. "You'd never do anything to harm my family right?"

"No, of course not." Eric told him.

"How are things with Louise?" He asked. Eric again was just a little confused.

"They're going pretty well." He told him. "In fact, she's moving in at the end of the month."

"So, things are going well for you. Isn't that nice." Wayne said a little sharply. Eric could detect an accusatory tone in his voice.

"Wayne..."

"You know what I've figured out recently Eric?" He asked him. "I see everything falling into place for you. I see everything working out for you in your perfect little life."

"Wayne, my life..."

"Meanwhile, my son is sitting dosed up to the eyeballs with psychoactive medication trying to sort out God knows what, my daughter barely talks to me, my wife barely even looks at me anymore!" Wayne continued to say angrily. "And you want to know what's funny? Even while I did just as much as you setting all this up, getting Cerberus off the ground, and while I'm watching you set up some dream family, my life is falling apart!"

"Wayne, I get that you're upset." Eric told him. "But this isn't about my family."

"It isn't is it?" He asked him. "How about that little God Daughter of mine?"

"Emma?" He asked him. "Wayne, what are you talking about?"

"I missed out on a lot of what Mikey was doing, and look where it got me." Wayne answered. "I'll bet you don't even know what your precious little girl gets up to when she leaves the house each day."

"Wayne, we've been friends a long time, so I'm going to let this slide." Eric warned him. "If you have something to say, then just say it."

"You know what? I don't think I'll bother. I think I've let your family cause enough damage to mine." He stated, finishing his drink. He got up, heading for the door. "I'm done."

As he brushed past Eric, heading out the door, Louise came in, carrying the bag from Ernie's. She looked to a somewhat confused Eric.

"What was that about?" She asked him.

"I...I really wish I knew." He told her honestly.

The following day, the Rangers made their way to the school soccer pitch. Jordan and Jake were in a huge game against Stone Canyon the following week, meaning they wanted to get in as much training time as possible. They knew it would be the afternoon before they were due on set, and Jordan wanted to run through another couple of play ideas he had to get his team ready for their much more physical form of play.

When they got there, they found that the ground was suspiciously empty. None of the other players were there...nor was the coach.

"Um...are we late or early?" Jake asked.

"Check it out." Emma told them, pointing to some balls which had been left abandoned on the pitch.

"The coach wouldn't leave those out." Troy stated. "I don't think we're alone."

There was a flash of lightning, striking the centre point of the pitch, at which the Psycho Rangers appeared. Jordan and the other Rangers all rushed to position to confront them.

"Very astute of you Red Ranger." Psycho Red stated.

"Where are the other students Xavier?" Troy asked him. Psycho Red just started laughing.

"So, you figured out who our vessels are? Well, that took you long enough." Psycho Red told him. "Don't worry; they're all nice and safe. They're all together nice and cozy in the changing rooms."

"Well, we know who you are, and we know you can be beaten." Noah replied.

"Trust me; Vrak's given us a whole new perspective on things." Psycho Black told them. "So, since we're all here, how about a little five-a-side?"

"Uh...there are six of us?" Jordan reminded him. "You need a goalie."

They didn't answer verbally, instead just rushing towards the Rangers. Troy, Emma, Gia, Noah and Jake only just morphed into Ultra Mode in time to meet the charge. Jordan summoned up his armour, looking around for who he needed to help first.

Seeing Jake taking a shot from Psycho Black's spear, he was about to intervene, before he was sent to the ground by an explosion. He looked up a little way from where he was lying, seeing a new arrival.

She was tall, and slender, with a feminine build. She was completely covered in patterned blue armour, apart from her face, which was grey, with pure white, featureless eyes. She had what looked like green hair made of cabling coming from her head, and was holding a tablet. He looked up at her.

"OK, and you are...?"

"I am..."

"You know what? Save it." Jordan told her, pulling out his Robo Blade. "In about five minutes, it won't make any..."

His words were cut off as Alice blocked the blow with her tablet, kneeing him in the gut, before launching him through the scoreboard. He struggled back to his feet as she converted her tablet into a sword.

"OK, maybe ten minutes." He spluttered as he got ready for his new enemy.

In the Command Centre, Tensou was watching the battle on the viewing screens, rushing around in a panic.

"Gosei, Gosei, the Rangers are in danger!" Tensou yelled. "The Psycho Rangers are back, and stronger than ever!"

"I have seen the scans Tensou." Gosei assured him. "I am more concerned about this new arrival. Our scans have not encountered anything like her."

"Gosei, we need to tell the Rangers to retreat!" Tensou squealed. "The Psycho Rangers' powers...they're increasing as we speak!"

"We must trust in their judgement Tensou!" Gosei told him. "There are more than just their lives at stake."

Back at the site of the battle, Troy took another hard hit, leaving him prone as Psycho Red pressed home the advantage. He looked to the evil Ranger as he kipped back up.

"Your persistence is good sport, but ultimately pointless Troy!" He taunted him. "Your destruction..."

"My destruction will never happen." Troy told him. "Not by your hand anyway."

"You really think you are powerful enough..."

"No, I just think you're too good to do it!" Troy replied as he rushed him, pinning him against the bleachers. "It took me a while to figure it out, why you didn't want to take my moves...that's not Psycho Red is it? That's Xavier!"

"What does it matter...?"

Troy cut him short by unleashing a point-blank power burst that stunned Psycho Red. It took a lot out of Troy too, but he hung onto him desperately.

"It was Xavier, HE didn't want my moves!" Troy told him. "I've listened to my old sensei, all the guys that used to train with us, read the magazines...all of them call him a fake!"

"That doesn't..."

"Even if your programming is forcing him to fight me, it doesn't completely control him!" Troy screamed at him. "He doesn't want my moves because if he does beat me, he wants to do it HIS way! He wants to do it fairly! One-on-one, just the way he was trained! If he wins or loses, he does it on his own merit, no excuses!"

Psycho Red finally managed to shove him off, at which Troy faced him down, running towards him again. Elsewhere, Noah was battling David.

"I know it was your way of telling us, it had to be!" Noah said to Psycho Blue. "You can't control the Psycho Ranger powers, but you can control your performance, you always have been able to!"

Psycho Blue sent him flying with his axe, before pressing the advantage.

"I saw all the vodka in your trailer, I was disappointed in what you've become." Noah told him. He kicked Psycho Blue away as he got up, clashing blades with him. "You're one of the greats! I remember seeing your performance in First Knight! You were critically acclaimed! Sir Sean Connery himself gave you nothing but praise, you were amazing! You just let things get to you!"

"Shut UP Blue Ranger!" Psycho Blue told him, grabbing him by the throat. Noah just struggled against his grip.

"I've read the forum boards, I know your problem started because you weren't getting the same parts." Noah told him. "But all of the actors, the people you worked with...everyone always said you were the best they'd ever worked with, even when you were completely out of your face!"

Psycho Blue threw him aside, and raised his axe to strike.

"Think about it, if you're that good when you're constantly smashed, think how great you'd be if you could just put the bottle down." Noah pleaded with him. "Directors are worried about you, so prove them wrong! Don't punish yourself with your frustrations, punish THEM. Show them they're wrong, make them see what all the critics and your cast mates always have. Show them what I know you can be."

In another part of the stadium, Metal Alice saw the impasse between the Rangers and the Psycho Rangers as she battled with Jordan. She was constantly scanning him, analysing every move he made. Seeing him coming for her, she twisted his blade sharply, sending him tumbling off-balance, kicking him away as she did. She looked to his Robo Blade and then up at him.

"Eltarian technology, I'm almost impressed." She scoffed. "Of course, you're no Eltarian...someone decided to waste such exquisite technology on something so...primitive."

"You think a lot of your own tech don't you?" Jordan asked. "So, what exactly are you anyway?"

"I am Metal Alice." She told him.

"So...you're a robot?" Jordan asked her. "Great, then I don't need to pull any punches!"

As he was about to attack though, he saw her looking to the Psycho Rangers, who all fell to the ground, writhing in agony. He saw this and looked horrified.

"What...what are you doing to them?" He demanded. Before he could get an answer though, there was a blinding light. Xavier, Henrietta, Oliver, David and Felicity were left lying on the ground, unmoving, and where the Psycho Rangers had once been, there were five monsters. They were in the Psycho Ranger colours, but each of them looked nothing like the Rangers they had come from. Jordan felt a jab in the side, and grabbed his side, feeling Metal Alice pull her blade free. She converted it back into her tablet. He looked to his hand, seeing it covered in blood, his blood...she had stabbed him through his armour. Only the armour had stopped the blow being fatal.

"Vrak's little upgrade is now complete." She assured him. She disappeared before Jordan could respond. He turned his attention back to the others, rushing to join them.

"OK Jordan, you're the one that knows about the Psychos." Troy told him. "Is this...?"

"Yup, they did this before." Jordan told them. "And before you ask...yes, it is VERY bad news!"


	10. Role of a Lifetime

Over in the Warstar ship, Vrak was busy working on his latest project when Metal Alice returned. He looked over to her as she arrived.

"Did it work?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"The upgrade worked perfectly." She informed him. "The Psycho Rangers have ascended to maximum power. I have left them as you commanded."

"Thank you Metal Alice." He responded.

"Master, there are some things I don't understand." She told him. "With this upgrade, you no longer have control over the Psycho Rangers."

"I doubt I ever really did." He chuckled. "It was only a matter of time before I lost control of them."

"So, why did you use them?" She asked him. He just turned to her and smiled.

"Because regardless of what happens now, they have served their purpose." He answered honestly, turning on his monitor. Metal Alice looked to it, seeing that it showed something happening deep beneath the sea, a few miles from the Harwood Harbour. Machines were busy building a massive structure on the ocean floor. "Within the hour, my new base of operations will be complete. I've been able to acquire the materials and build this completely under the Rangers' noses."

"But the Psycho Rangers could present..."

"You should have more faith in your own power." He told her. "I have faith that once you take your place in my new base and start to produce my new robot army, you will have enough power to deal with them."

"I do not have faith." Metal Alice replied. "I have only programming."

"Well, be that as it may, this is one play I cannot lose with." He told her. "At worst, the Rangers will destroy the Psychos, by which time my new base will be complete, and it'll be too late for them to do anything about it. Best case scenario, I won't even have to deal with them."

"Master, there is something else." She told him. "I believe you will find this most interesting."

She handed over her tablet, at which he started to read it.

"This...this...this is impossible!" He stammered, looking to her. "Where did you get this?"

"I got this reading from the Robo Knight." She informed him.

"The Robo...?" He started to say. "This...how can this be possible?"

"I can assure you my reading is not wrong." She told him. "I have already devised a strategy on how best to use this information to serve our purposes."

Vrak scrolled through the information on the tablet, finding that she had indeed already devised numerous tactical options for how to proceed with this information, how to best use it to their advantage.

"Personally, I recommend option Alpha." She told him. "It utilises the most basic weakness of any biological entity."

"I am impressed." He said with an evil smirk. "When I created you, I never suspected you to come up with something like this."

"I have already expanded my programming to better serve my function as your lieutenant." She told him. "The internet is a marvellous tool."

"Then proceed how you see fit." He told her. "Then head for the underwater base. I will call on you when I am ready."

"As you wish master!" She stated, before teleporting away.

In the Command Centre, Tensou could only watch helplessly as the Rangers and Jordan took on the Psycho Rangers' new, powered up monster form. Tensou was rushing around, trying to find something he could do.

"I'm shutting down every non-essential system and re-routing power to your suits." Tensou screamed into the communicator as he did what he could. "Gosei, their power levels are still falling, and the Psycho Rangers' powers are increasing as we speak!"

"How long do they have left?" Gosei asked him.

"At this rate, even with all the assistance I'm giving them, they have ten minutes, perhaps twelve before their powers completely give out." Tensou told him. "Though I can buy them a little more time."

"Tensou, don't..."

"I'm sorry Gosei, but there isn't any other choice." Tensou told him. He attached himself to the console, and then looked to the viewing screen.

"Tensou!"

"Use it well." Tensou stated, before sending a huge charge into the machine. Gosei just watched helplessly as he fell to the floor.

"Tensou!" Gosei called out, but it was too late. The light in his eyes dimmed and went black.

Over at the site of the battle, Xavier started to come to, stroking the side of his head as he realised where he was. He felt a hand on his arm, and looked up to see Oliver helping him up.

"My head..."

"Trust me, we're all feeling it." David assured him. "We need to..."

Xavier just looked over to where the Rangers were battling their monstrous opponents. He could see that the battle wasn't going well. Troy was doing everything he could, but the dragon monster that had, at one time possessed him was far too powerful.

"We need to do something." Xavier told them. "This is all down to us, we caused this!"

"Look, that freak Vrak took over our minds!" Felicity reminded him. "We didn't have a choice!"

"Well now we do!" Xavier told them. "So we can either run away and..."

"Listen, I appreciate the sentiment." Henrietta protested. "But the Rangers have the power. What do you expect us to do? We're actors! We're not cut out for this!"

"Yeah man, come on." Oliver told him.

"The Rangers...they're losing!" Xavier stated flatly. "If they lose, what do you really think will happen? Do you think these things will be happy with that? They'll hunt us down anyway!"

Just then, Xavier looked to his hand, finding a device appearing in it. He looked to the others and saw they were holding similar devices.

"Oh no, you're not thinking..."

"It took two teams to defeat the Psychos last time." Xavier told them. The powers that had possessed them had relayed all the knowledge of the Psycho Rangers. "Then let's give them a second team."

"Xavier, we're actors!" Henrietta yelled at him. He then looked to them.

"I always said I never wanted to be a fake." Xavier told them. "I'm going to help them. You can all do what you want."

With that, he ran towards the battle. Oliver looked to the others, and then followed suit.

"Well, I guess it'll be one hell of a final role at least." David stated as he, Henrietta and Felicity started running.

Troy was on the ground, his Ultra Sword smashed from his hand as he landed. The monster came over, looming over him.

"You know, we got so close last time, but this time, you Rangers just don't measure up." He told them. "I don't know whether to eat you raw, or cook you first."

As he was about to strike, he suddenly flew off him. Troy looked up as he saw an armoured hand extended towards him. He looked up, seeing Xavier standing over him, wearing the Psycho Red armour, this time without his helmet. He looked to Troy and nodded as he helped him up.

"Xavier?" He asked. "What...where...?"

"The wardrobe?" He asked. "I guess Gosei decided to give us another take."

"Whoa!" Jake called out as Oliver grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, lifting him bodily off the ground and dumping him back on his feet. "Dude, seriously, you need to be a little more gentle."

"So I guess you decided to take the role seriously?" Gia asked Felicity as she helped Emma up. Felicity just looked between them and sighed.

"I...I'm sorry." She told them. "Seeing the way you all go out of your way to help others, to help each other...I don't know how I lost it like I did."

"I guess when you get told how wonderful you are wherever you go all over the world; it might go to your head." Emma suggested. "I know I've had my moments where I thought I was better than I was."

"Alright guys, what do we say?" David replied. "Do we stick to our own colours?"

"Trust me, there's way too much pink out here." Felicity stated, lining up alongside Emma. "What do you say we rectify that?"

With that, they all rushed into battle.

Elsewhere in the city, General Edwards was in his house, researching the latest footage he'd managed to gather on the Rangers when he heard the doorbell. He got up from his chair, and started to make his way to the door.

"Bloody cold callers." He grumbled as he made his way to the door. He opened the door wide. "Look, I'm sorry but I'm busy..."

He couldn't believe his eyes as he saw Metal Alice on the doorstep before him. He started to back away as she strode in.

"General Edwards I presume." She stated, kicking him in the chest and sending him to the ground. As he started scrambling away, she followed him menacingly. He got to the coffee table, snatching up his glock and levelling it at her. She just looked at him sceptically. "Really?"

He squeezed the trigger, firing off a few rounds. They rebounded harmlessly off her armour. She got close enough to kick the gun out of his hand.

"What...what do you want with me?" He asked her.

"It isn't you I want." She told him. "However, you will serve a purpose."

"What...what purpose?" He asked her. She converted her tablet into sword mode and approached him, stabbing him through the stomach. As he screamed out in pain, she twisted the blade, tearing at the wound agonisingly, before pulling the blade out of the wound.

"Give the Robo Knight my regards." She told him as she took his cell phone off him, crushing it into oblivion to prevent him calling for help. With that, she teleported out of the house, leaving him bleeding on the floor.

Back at the site of the battle, things were finally turning in the Rangers' favour. Without having to worry about the innocent actors being destroyed, they could finally unleash with everything they had.

Oliver drove home his spear, pinning the rock monster to the ground as Jake took out a power card. He put a hand on Jake's shoulder.

"Rockfall!" Jake called out as he slammed home the card. With the combined power of both Rangers, the resulting boulder conjured in the air fell to the ground, shaking the entire stadium, and more importantly, destroying the Black Psycho Monster utterly. The muffled explosion underneath the rock confirmed his destruction.

"One less Psycho in the world." Jake announced. "Gia, need a hand?"

"I think we've got it!" She replied as she and Henrietta battered into the insectoid Yellow Psycho Monster. Gia tore through her wings with her Tiger Claw as she tried to take to the air, before doubling around behind Henrietta. She powered up her Ultra Sword, sending out a power blast to back up Henrietta's Psycho Slinger. The Yellow Psycho Monster burned up in the blast, and exploded, ending her threat for good.

"That makes three!" Noah called out as he held the Blue Psycho Monster in place, while David sliced off his head with the Psycho Axe. Noah picked up the head and looked to David.

"Alas..."

"Do the Hamlet speech, and I'll reconsider what side I'm on." David chuckled. Noah threw the head away as the monster's body exploded. "I'll teach you how to do it properly."

Meanwhile, Emma and Felicity finished off Psycho Pink. Felicity stood, with a proud smile on her face.

"It feels good doesn't it?" Emma asked. "Doing something for the benefit of someone else?"

"I've played a hero so many times...I guess it's good to finally play it for real." Felicity replied, shouldering her Psycho Bow.

"I'm just glad it didn't cost us a Ranger this time." Emma answered.

"I guess that just means we're awesome." Felicity answered. Emma just rolled her eyes. Felicity was making steps in the right direction, but she guessed she couldn't expect miracles overnight.

Meanwhile, Jordan, Troy and Xavier were taking on the powerful, and now dangerously enraged Red Psycho Monster. Jordan fell to the ground, calling out in pain as he took a hit.

"Jordan!" Troy called out as he got to his side. "Are you alright?"

"That Metal Alice chick got through my armour." He told him, showing Troy the bleeding wound in his side. "I'll be..."

"Damn it, stay there!" Troy told him. "Xavier, Jordan's out! It's down to us!"

"No problem." Xavier replied as he attacked the creature, fending off its claws. The creature looked to him as he ducked a ball of flame.

"You...you were always troublesome human." He commented. "You were strong..."

"Most of my exes would say stubborn." He answered as he was forced back. Troy was immediately on the monster, forcing him back.

"Xavier, I've got him on the ropes!" Troy told him. "Give it all you've got!"

Xavier powered up his Psycho Sword, leaping high into the air and spinning as he came down. Troy moved aside at the last second as he scythed down into him.

"It's not enough." Troy told him. "Guys, let's do this!"

All of the Megaforce Rangers assembled, preparing for the Ultra Strike. Jordan staggered over to them, his Vulcan Cannon at the ready.

"Jordan..."

"I'll manage." He told them. "Let's just finish this guy quick!"

The Red Psycho Monster took the blast full in the face, before falling to the ground and exploding. Xavier and his fellow actors crowded around them.

"Wow, that was...that was amazing." Xavier complimented them. "You guys were awesome!"

"You were all pretty good yourselves." Jake returned the compliment. "I mean, seriously, you're all legit!"

"Coming from the real-life Rangers, I'm taking that as a compliment." Felicity said with a smile.

"Rangers!" Gosei called over their communicators. Troy answered his communicator.

"What is it Gosei?" He asked.

"You are needed urgently at the Command Centre." He told them.

"OK, we need to take Xavier and the others..."

"Bring them with you." Gosei told them. "It is them I really need."

The Rangers just looked to the actors curiously, seeing them smiling.

"Wait...you're serious?" Oliver asked. "We're actually going to the real Ranger Command Centre?"

"It sounds like it." Emma replied as they teleported out.

Over at the Edwards house, General Edwards dragged himself through the house, leaving a trail of blood behind him. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd been attacked exactly, but he'd been in enough war zones to know it had been long enough to be concerned.

Alice had known exactly what she was doing, stabbing him in the stomach. It was a wound that would bleed profusely, but not be instantly fatal. To make matters worse, she had twisted the blade in the wound, meaning that it wouldn't close on its own.

He finally got to the hall, where the landline phone was. He couldn't bring himself to stand, struggling to even get to his knees, and grabbed the cable, pulling the phone off the table to the floor. He struggled to dial as he held a hand over his stomach, stemming the bleeding as much as he could.

"911, what is the nature of your emergency?" The voice on the other end stated.

"Ambulance..." He managed to say, before the phone slipped out of his hand and he passed out.

"Sir, where are you?" The voice asked. "Sir? Sir?"

Over at the Command Centre, the Rangers arrived to find Tensou lying on the floor. Emma was the first one over.

"Tensou!" She screamed, running to his side. She shook him, but couldn't seem to revive him. "Gosei, what happened to him?" Noah started to check him over, finding all his functions completely dead. He found his power cell, and saw its display blank.

"His power cell...it's completely drained." Noah stated, looking to the others. "He must have used his own power cell to increase our own energy."

"But...he's going to be OK right?" Gia asked him. "I mean...we can just recharge him can't we?"

"He shut down all non-essential systems; it'll take hours for the Command Centre to have enough juice to be able to spare some to charge him up." Noah told them. "It might...it might not matter anyway."

"What do you mean?" Jake asked him.

"His memory bank runs on reserve power even when he's offline, but he's drained that too." Noah told them. "The longer he's offline, the more his memory is going to degrade. By the time we can recharge him, there's no telling how much he'll have lost."

"You mean...?"

"Tensou sacrificed himself for us." Noah confirmed sadly. "Without being able to power him back up soon, there's no way to save him."

"Can't we give him some of our power?" Jake asked. Noah shook his head.

"That last battle really took it out of us." Noah informed him. "I doubt we'd have the power to charge him."

"So...that's it?" Emma asked, looking to him a little tearfully. "There's nothing we can do?"

"I don't think so." Noah told her.

"Poor little guy." Gia lamented sadly. "He's...he's always been there for us."

Xavier got a thought as he saw the team gathered around their fallen friend.

"Wait...we got these morphers after he did that right?" Xavier told them. "Maybe he didn't give that power to you. Maybe he gave it to us!"

"Xavier..."

"Look, you guys were chosen for this, you're real heroes." Xavier interrupted Troy. He placed his hand, holding his morpher on Tensou's chest plate. "This little guy...he did something incredible. If this is what we can do for him, please let us."

"It's better to be a real hero for one day than to pretend for a lifetime." Oliver agreed as he placed his hand on Tensou's chest plate. "He gave us this, now it's time to give it back."

"I haven't done too much for others." Felicity admitted as she joined them. "Tensou hasn't even met me, and he gave me this chance. He deserves this second chance."

As David and Henrietta joined them, Gosei's voice reverberated around the room.

"There is no guarantee this will work." Gosei warned them. "If you do this now, your power will be gone for good."

"We're willing to risk it." Henrietta told him. With that, they all channelled their energy into Tensou. Their morphers disappeared, leaving them all drained and a little woozy. For a few tense moments, the Rangers just watched. Finally, Noah saw a faint flicker of light in Tensou's eyes.

"Guys, check it out!" He rushed out, going to Tensou's side. "Tensou, Tensou speak to me!"

"N...N...Noah?" He squeaked out weakly. "What...what happened?"

The other Rangers all gathered around him, crowding around the newly revived Tensou. They knew that at least some of his memory would likely have been affected, but it seemed he had retained most of his memory, since he at least seemed to know who they were. Troy went to Xavier and offered him a hand.

"Thank you." He stated. "We've been doing this a while. It's quite something to give up."

"Well, we've done something not many ever will." Xavier told him. "Even if we only got one shot, we're glad to have helped."

Just then, Gosei sounded an alert.

"Rangers, a 911 call has been placed within the city." He informed them. "Jordan, it came from your house."

Jordan just looked to the others, before grabbing his morpher and teleporting out of the Command Centre.


	11. Metal Alice's First Play

Jordan got back to his house. In his hurry to get to the house, he didn't even follow the accepted protocol of teleporting somewhere near his home that he wouldn't be seen, instead appearing right on the doorstep. He was sure that Gosei would probably have something to say about that, but right now he didn't care. A 911 call had come from his house. Only his dad and he lived there, and his dad was the kind of guy that was always trying to prove himself in any situation. He'd once driven himself to a hospital with a dislocated shoulder just so that he didn't have to call anyone for help. If his dad had called 911, then something had to be seriously wrong.

As he appeared, he found the door lying wide open, a troubling sign in and of itself. His dad had spent a fortune on a state-of-the-art security system for the house. He was so intent that no one would make him a victim, and by extension make himself look weak to anyone that he was trying to impress in his obsessive pursuit of personal glory that he would never risk anything like a petty burglary making him look bad. Leaving the door wide open negated pretty much the entire point of all that preparation.

"Dad?" Jordan called as he made his way into the hallway. As he got inside, he found a trail of blood soaked into the carpet. It was a wide, long strip leading from the Living Room. Coming in, he saw a pair of feet sticking out from behind the table there.

"Dad!" Jordan called out, rushing in to find his dad lying on the floor, propping himself up against the wall. He was trying to hold a jacket to a gaping wound in his stomach to stem the flow of blood, but Jordan could see his grip was already so weak that it was barely hanging there. General Edwards' flesh was pale, and his clothing and the floor around him was soaked in blood. Jordan was no doctor, but he didn't need to be to know that this didn't look good; clearly he had been bleeding for some time. He grabbed the jacket and pressed it in tightly, causing his dad to look up at him. "Dad, I'm here..."

"I called the ambulance." He managed to say weakly. "I...I didn't manage to tell them the address..."

"The phone's still off the hook." Jordan told him. "They'll have traced the call. I'm sure an ambulance will be here soon, just try to hold on."

He held his dad's head up as he saw him slumping forwards. He could see that he was faint already.

"Dad...how long since...?"

"I don't know exactly." He replied weakly. "I passed out while I was calling...I only came to when you got here..."

Jordan moved the jacket just enough to see the wound. He could see that it was much too wide a wound to be any mere knife. Seeing his dad starting to weaken further, he held his head up.

"Dad, you have to tell me, who did this to you?" He asked him. His dad's head started to slump again, forcing Jordan to hold up his face. He slapped him gently, hoping to keep him awake. Having lost so much blood, Jordan knew a big danger was that if he passed out, he wouldn't wake up again. The only way to be sure he was alive was if he kept him talking. "Dad, answer me..."

"It was some...some woman...blue with green hair." He told him. Jordan reacted with horror as he heard this. "She...she looked like one of those monsters...but different...like..."

"A robot?" Jordan asked him. General Edwards just nodded. As he did so, he saw the wound in Jordan's side. "What...?"

"It's fine, it's nothing." Jordan told him. General Edwards saw that Jordan was covered in bruises, like he had been in a fight. It wasn't as if he wasn't an active kid, and he did come back with bruises more than a few times.

"It doesn't look like nothing." He said weakly. It was then that he noticed a dark bruise across Jordan's cheek. He suddenly realised something. Jordan knew what his attacker looked like. He had gotten home before the ambulance, even though he knew he wasn't due home for hours. He reached up to touch the side of his son's face.

"You...you still let your guard slip when you throw the reverse." He told him. "That monster...the one that ate dreams...he was telling the truth...he was right wasn't he?"

"Dad?"

"You...You're the Robo Knight." He surmised. "I...I can't believe..."

"Dad save your strength." Jordan told him. "Please..."

His dad pressed the key to his study into Jordan's hand. Jordan just looked up at him, completely stunned. No matter where he had gone, whatever home the military had given them, there was always one room his dad had designated as his study, one room that Jordan had always been told was off-limits. His father had never invited him inside; he had never given him permission to go in...he had never even left the key out of his sight.

"Operation Knightfall." He said weakly. Jordan gulped as he heard this name. Back when Jason and Trini had told him they had pulled strings to get the government agents off their back, he had said that 'Operation Knightfall' had been terminated. Why had it never occurred to him before now? It was shortly after his dad had gotten back into town on what he had termed a 'special mission' that the agents had started turning up at Ranger battles.

"You?" Jordan asked. With that, General Edwards started to slump back into unconsciousness. "Dad, stay with me, DAD!"

As he tried to revive him, he felt someone gently shoving him aside. He saw a couple of paramedics coming in the door.

"We're here now kid." The first greeted him, putting down a bag and getting to work. "What happened here?"

"Someone attacked him." Jordan told him. "He's been stabbed in the stomach...it looks pretty bad..."

"It looks like they got you too." The other replied, seeing the state Jordan was in. Realising that this was the best way to explain how he had ended up looking like this, he opted just to go with it.

"I...I was just getting back as they were leaving." Jordan told him.

"He's lost a lot of blood." The other paramedic stated. "We need to get him to Central Harwood Hospital, now."

"You should probably get checked out too." The other paramedic told Jordan. "You should lock up while we get your dad into the ambulance."

"Is there anyone you can call?" The first asked him. Jordan just nodded as he pulled out his cell phone and dialled Troy.

Meanwhile, Metal Alice arrived at the co-ordinates Vrak had given her. She found herself in her element, surrounded by technology. For weeks now, Vrak had been assembling the components he needed to build this place. The structure was built, while some loogies were getting to work setting up machinery. Vrak had spent a lot of time preparing for this move. What he couldn't spirit away from the Warstar ship under Malkor's nose, he had been purchasing under the table from his contacts in the intergalactic black market.

As she made her way past some loogies, she stepped over cabling on the floor, making her way over to where Vrak was looking out of a window. They were miles below the surface of the ocean in a new base Vrak had built far from prying eyes.

"I trust it is done?" He asked her.

"It is done Lord Vrak." She replied.

"I trust you had some fun with it." He chuckled.

"I had no feelings relating to my mission. I only had my mission." She told him as she stood beside him.

"It's magnificent isn't it?" Vrak asked her.

"The base is not yet complete." She answered.

"No, not the base...this." He stated, gesturing out of the window. "The Earth...it is quite a world. I swear, at times I can see why the humans fight so jealously to protect it. Still, it will soon be part of the new empire either way."

"The loogies are not working fast enough." Metal Alice stated. "I calculate at the current rate of work, they will only conclude construction within 19 days 21 hours and 17 minutes."

"I've waited this long." He commented.

"I have extensive databases of the software and hardware capabilities you will require for this stage of your plan." She continued. "If I am left to work on this alone, I will be completed within 9 days 3 hours and 12 minutes."

"I knew there was a reason to have you around." Vrak replied, looking to her and smiling. "You'll have your time. I'll just leave you to it. Perhaps if I leave a few loogies...?"

"They would only slow me down." She interrupted him. "Besides, it is tactically unwise to have creatures loyal to Malkor aware of this location."

As she said this, the loogies all stopped working and looked up towards Vrak. He just looked to them thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you're right." He told her. "I'll let you deal with that. I trust it won't add too much time to the project."

"Statistically insignificant." She replied as he teleported away. She converted her tablet into sword mode as the loogies realised what was about to happen and rushed to the attack, fighting for their lives.

Over at Harwood County Hospital, Jordan was waiting outside the operating theatre while the paramedics worked on his dad. The other Rangers got there, after making a token appearance at home so that they could be seen to "hear the news" about Jordan's dad.

"How is he?" Gia asked, sitting with Jordan and taking his hand. He just looked to her.

"They're still working on him." Jordan informed her. "He's...he's lost a lot of blood. The doctors said something about his spleen..."

"They're doing all they can." Troy interrupted as he saw Jordan was having difficulty talking about it.

"So...do you know...?"

"It was that new...thing of Vrak's." Jordan told them. "It was Metal Alice."

Emma and the others just looked around each other. It wouldn't be the first time that Vrak or any of his creations had targeted someone they cared about, but for the most part they didn't bother. The few times they had, it had done little to advance their cause. Usually, threatening or harming the loved ones of the Rangers only served to motivate them and make them more dangerous. It had been quite some time since any of them had suffered any attack like that.

"We should probably get Uncle to do extra scanning sweeps near our homes." Noah suggested, getting up to head out and use his morpher to communicate the message. "If she's willing to go for our families..."

"Jordan Edwards?" A doctor asked. Jordan got up and made his way over.

"Is it about dad?" Jordan asked him. The doctor looked to the others.

"I think you should come with me." He told him. "There's something important we need to talk about."

Jordan just looked to the others, before following the doctor away. As they left, Emma sat with Troy, holding him closely.

"I'll put in that call to Uncle." Noah told them. "He can watch our folks tonight. After that...I'll figure out something."

"In the meantime, we'll all have to be ready." Jake stated. "If anything happened to my folks..."

"We all feel that way." Troy answered, looking to the door. "I don't even want to think what Jordan's going through."

Back in the underground base, Metal Alice stood, surrounded by fallen loogies. She folded up her sword, turning it back into its tablet mode as they all exploded, leaving nothing behind.

"Inferior workmanship." She stated as she went to the console, looking over the progress they had made. "Such meagre understanding of technology...it is amazing those loogies haven't been destroyed long before now."

She started to get to work, shaking her head in disbelief.

"By the time I have this base of operations up and running, the Rangers won't know what hit them." She stated. "As for the Robo Knight, I think I'll take care of him myself. It should be...fun."

Back at the hospital, Jordan came back to the others, looking decidedly pale and disorientated. They were over to meet him quickly, helping him to a seat.

"Jordan, what is it?" Emma asked him.

"It's...It's my dad." Jordan told them. "They...they need blood, a lot of it."

"So, what are they waiting for?" Troy asked him.

"I can't." Jordan told them. "They...um...they tested my blood against his. They say it isn't a match."

"So they need blood from somewhere else?" Jake asked him. Jordan just nodded.

"There's more to it though." He continued. "My blood type...it...it doesn't match mom's either."

"I don't..."

"That's...that's not possible." Noah interrupted Jake. They all looked to him as he said this.

"I don't understand." Troy stated.

"It's possible for a kid's blood type not to be a match for one parent, but not both." Jordan answered, looking like he was going to be ill. He looked up to them. "And since there's a reason we can pretty much take it as read that mom is my mom, there's only one explanation."

"Your dad..."

"My dad isn't my dad." Jordan confirmed. Just then, a doctor came out of the operating theatre. As the team got to their feet, he approached them, removing his mask. He looked to Jordan sadly and shook his head.

"I'm sorry; there was nothing we could do." He told them.

"Oh my God." Noah muttered. The Rangers all gathered around Jordan, who just looked like he'd been hit by a truck.

"He's..."

"He simply lost too much blood." The doctor informed him. "Maybe if we'd gotten to him sooner, or there had been some more compatible blood in storage..."

Jordan just walked away as the doctor's words tailed off.

"Mr Edwards...!"

"Can you just give us a minute?" Jake asked him.

"There are some forms that need to be signed, and some procedures..."

"Can't all of that wait?" Troy asked him. The doctor just nodded.

"Is there somewhere your friend can go?" He asked. "He probably shouldn't be alone."

"He can come to my place." Troy told him. "We'll be back for the paperwork later."

As they made their way out of the hospital, they found Jordan outside, just staring into space.

"Jordan..."

"Why's it so hard to get a cab?" He asked.

"A cab?" Jake asked. "Jordan..."

"I've got to get home somehow." Jordan stated. "Gosei's already bound to be pissed about me breaking the rules about teleporting..."

"UNCLE!" Noah rushed out, looking around for anyone that might have heard Jordan forgetting the code they used.

"You know what Noah, right now I don't give a SHIT who knows!" Jordan snapped at him. "I just...I just want to go home, I just..."

"Jordan!" Troy stated, looking to him. "That's not a good idea."

"Please Jordan, we just...we don't want you to be alone." Emma told him.

"I'll call my folks." Troy told him. "You can stay with us."

Jordan didn't have it in him to argue. He had no idea where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do. He just nodded as Troy flagged down a cab.

"We'll call in the morning." Emma assured him. "I'm really sorry."

"I'll take care of him." Troy assured her, kissing her cheek. "Just...everybody stay safe."

With that, the cab took them away, leaving Emma, Gia, Noah and Jake outside the hospital. He looked to Jordan, seeing him staring wordlessly into the night. He couldn't even begin to imagine what was going on in his head right now, and by the looks of it, he wasn't sure he wanted to.


	12. A Huge Decision

The next few days went by quietly, very quietly. The Rangers doubted it was out of any form of sentimentality that Vrak opted not to attack following the attack on Jordan's home. More likely, he just wanted to let it all set in, to let them all really think about what had happened and process it. He wanted them to see what had happened as a warning.

In the early morning, Jordan was in the Burrows family gym. Mr Burrows had always dreamed of owning his own gym, and had finally managed to secure funding for a property at the beginning of the year. The Burrows had agreed to take Jordan in for the short term while they figured out what to do in the long term following the news.

Mr Burrows came into the room, finding Jordan working out. He was only too happy to let him use the gym, he clearly knew what he was doing, and it gave him a distraction that he had a feeling he would really need. For obvious reasons, he hadn't been to school since the attack. He came over to the heavy bag, where Jordan was working.

"Jordan." He said to him, but Jordan didn't seem to register he had said anything as he continued to work out. "Jordan, it's almost time."

Jordan didn't say anything, instead continuing with his workout. Mr Burrows came around in front of him, trying to get his attention.

Mr Burrows wasn't an especially big man all things considered. He had a decent build on him, as many would expect from a personal trainer, and had short, black hair. He looked a lot like Troy in many ways, though he had a few wrinkles that betrayed his age. He also moved a little more gingerly. His reason for moving into training was that his original career athletics career had been cut short. He had been a running back, with high hopes of making it big in the NFL. That had changed when he suffered a crushing injury that left many of the vertebrae in his neck and back irreparably damaged. He had been told outright by his doctor that his spine would no longer be able to withstand the heavy impact it would be subjected to in a pro game and that if he didn't retire, the odds were he could end up quadriplegic.

"Jordan, you need to get ready." He reiterated. "It's almost time for the funeral. You need to get cleaned up."

He just looked at Mr Burrows, before grabbing his towel and starting to walk away. Mr Burrows put a hand on his shoulder.

"Jordan, I'm not going to claim I know what you're going through." He told him. "But you need to talk to someone."

"What is there to talk about?" Jordan asked him.

"Jordan, you weren't there to plan any of the funeral." He reminded him.

"The army dealt with that." Jordan answered, starting to dry himself off. "They didn't need me to arrange it. They're doing their own thing."

"Jordan, he might have been a big deal to them, but what you want is important too." He told him. "Isn't there anything you want? Any songs or anyone to speak?"

"It's being taken care of. Everything's being taken care of." Jordan replied. "I'm turning 18 in January, so I just need a home until then..."

"Jordan, that's not what I meant. You can stay as long as you want." Mr Burrows told him. "It's just..."

As Jordan brushed past him, heading for the stairs, Mr Burrows just sighed. Troy was just coming in, wearing his suit, and carrying a black tie in his hand.

"Dad, is Jordan...?"

"He's just going to get cleaned up." He replied. "Here, let me help you with your tie."

Over in the Goodall house, Eric was just getting ready for the funeral. Although he and the General didn't get on, he knew the girls would want to be there for Jordan.

As he headed up to the girls' room, he heard the usual abrupt stop in the conversation. He had begun to notice it a lot recently. They would hurriedly stop whatever they were talking about whenever he came into the room, and he was sure they would change the subject.

"Gia, your mom's waiting in the car." He told her. Gia looked to Emma, before nodding and heading out of the room. Eric stood aside to let her pass, looking to his daughter as he came across to the bed.

"This brings back memories doesn't it?" He asked her. Emma just nodded her head in response. As he sat down next to her and put his arm around her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Emma just shook her head. One of the things she hated from day one about her tenure as a Ranger was the amount of time she spent lying to her dad. They had always been told it was essential that they keep their identities a secret, but that didn't make it feel right. It wasn't the first time one of their enemies had targeted people they cared about, and at times Emma had questioned how much it really protected their loved ones to be kept in the dark at times. With the death of General Edwards, she was once again starting to worry about how much the secrets affected her relationship with her father. Did it protect him? Or did the lies and deceit just keep him ignorant to the danger he could be in?

"Jordan's going to need his friends." He told her. "And as difficult as it might be, I think that you might be one of the ones he needs the most. You more than anyone know what it's like."

Emma couldn't help feeling worse as he said this. She knew her dad was only trying to help, but she couldn't help feeling like he already knew something was amiss, and he was just desperate for her to tell him what it was. As she was about to say something, she was interrupted as Eric got a call on his cell phone. He checked the ID, finding that it was Wayne.

"You should probably get that." She told him as he looked to her. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, before heading out to take his call. Emma just held her head in her hands. Wayne was yet another casualty of a war he didn't even know he was a part of. The war had its casualties, she didn't doubt that would be the case, but now she was starting to wonder why there had to be so many innocent casualties.

At the graveyard, Jake was pacing, talking on his phone as Noah sat on a bench, waiting for the others.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jake stated. "I just...I just really needed to hear your voice. I needed to know you were alright."

Noah looked to him as he said this. Jake just took a deep breath.

"Yeah, this thing's shaken me up too." He told her. "I love you too."

As he hung up the phone, Noah just gestured to the phone.

"Allison?" He guessed. Jake just nodded.

"She's been great." Jake told him.

"Quinn's been really understanding too." Noah replied as he shifted over to let Jake get a seat. It was then that a car arrived, and they saw Jordan getting out, followed by Troy, closely followed by Mr and Mrs Burrows. As he approached, Jake shook his hand. He just stood, not really saying anything. There wasn't really anything anyone could say.

"Well, I guess we should get this over with." He stated as they headed through the huge iron gates into the graveyard.

The funeral was quite something to see. General Edwards, although he was on sabbatical at the time of his death, was quite a big deal in the military. He had made a lot of friends, many of whom were very important. With the Honour Guard standing by the side of the grave, and numerous highly decorated officers taking seats, the whole affair looked like something more appropriate to Arlington National Park than Harwood Graveyard. A hornblower played as the pallbearers, all Marines that General Edwards had served with, carried him to his final resting place, setting him down on the mechanism that would lower him into the grave.

Jordan wasn't listening to anything that was being said, he could only stare at the coffin. He felt Emma's arm around him, but it didn't stir him from his thoughts. Ever since the attack, everyone had been asking him to talk, to tell them what he thought, what he felt...the truth was, even he didn't know. Looking around, he recognised some of the faces as people he had met, but he didn't really know any of them. They were all the men his dad had made friends with on his quest to the top. They were friends with the man that they knew. A few of them looked sad, some like they might genuinely care that he was gone, but for a lot of them, Jordan couldn't help feeling like they were there to be seen. The whole scene made him feel ill. Only he could see how false it all was.

"A friend, a loyal comrade, and a fierce patriot, he will be missed by all that knew him. The country is a much worse off place without him." The man reading the eulogy concluded. "It was announced by the office of the president, that for his services to his country that General Edwards will be honoured for his years of dedicated service to the nation, he is to be honoured posthumously with the Silver Star."

As the trumpet played again, Jordan watched the man set the medal on the General's coffin as they started to fold up the flag. As they started to lower the coffin into the ground, he looked up only as the flag was offered to him. He looked around, realising that people probably expected him to speak, but what was there to say? The man they knew, the man being buried was not his father. His whole life, their entire relationship, everything Jordan knew was just...for nothing. He took the flag and turned, walking away. Troy just looked to the others.

"I'll go." He told them as he followed him.

Jordan's unexpected departure left the funeral running slightly short, and no one really sure what to do. The group started to offer each other handshakes and greetings before heading off, wanting to leave the scene behind them.

"Well that was...awkward." Jake stated, unable to stop himself staring into the grave. "So...um...what do we do now?"

"I really want to get to the Command Centre to check on Tensou." Noah told them. "He might not have been out long, but he did completely power down. I'd like to see how much of his memory bank is damaged."

"I really want to call Cat." Gia told them. "I know she was planning on coming down for Thanksgiving, but now...I'm seriously thinking of telling her not to come."

They all nodded in understanding, knowing how Gia felt. It was tough being in a long distance relationship, but the one benefit was that Gia knew in LA Cat was comparatively safe. She wouldn't get caught up in the battles they faced.

"Say, what do you think's going on there?" Noah asked as he pointed down the path. They saw Wayne arriving, dressed in jeans and a jersey. Eric approached him.

"Wayne, what's...what are you doing here?" Eric asked him. Wayne just handed him an envelope. Eric started to tear it open. "What's...?"

"I've thought about this a lot Eric." Wayne told him. "I'm having Mikey moved to a secure unit in Colorado. I'm heading out there."

"Wayne..."

"This city, everything that's happened...it's just not worth it anymore." Wayne told him. "I'm doing what's right by my family. I've given in my notice, and I've given you first refusal on my shares in Cerberus. It's a fair price..."

"Wayne...this is way less than they're worth." Eric stammered. "What's this about? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"I just can't risk my family being out here anymore." He replied as Emma and Gia came to see what was going on. He could only look at Emma, barely capable of keeping his anger in check. He'd known her almost since she was born, but now that he knew who she was, that she was part of the war that had destroyed his family, he couldn't help resenting her. "Don't try and talk me out of it, my mind's made up."

"But Wayne, we can..."

"I said my mind's made up." Wayne told him. "I'm sorry."

With that, he started to head back towards his car. Emma ran after him, grabbing his arm.

"Wayne..."

"Leave it alone Emma." He told her abruptly.

"But you and dad, you're friends!" Emma pleaded with him. "If there's something..."

"Can you bring back my son's sanity?" He asked her. "Can you get that guy in the black armour to give my son his mind back?"

"I...I don't..."

"I know Emma, I saw you and Gia with the others on the film set!" He told her under his breath. Emma just backed up a little. She looked straight at him.

"I...we...um..."

"I know you're the Rangers!" He stated flat-out. "I also know that it was getting involved with you and your friends that left my son in a mental institution."

"I had nothing to do with..."

"I have to do what's right by my family Emma." He said, looking at her with disgust. "Your dad's a good man, and a good friend. I hate to do this to him, but I have to do right by my family."

"Please, let me explain..."

"There's nothing else to say!" Wayne snapped at her. He looked over to where Eric was still clearly confused and upset, talking to Louise. "You've done enough harm to my family Emma. Maybe it's time you decided when enough harm's been done."

As he got into the car, seeding off, Emma just wiped away a tear. Gia was quickly by her side.

"Emma, what did he say?" Gia asked her. Emma just looked to her.

"Nothing I didn't already know." Emma told her. "Come on, there's something we need to talk about."

Elsewhere, Troy found Jordan standing at the edge of the Graveyard, holding the flag in his hands. He was just staring down at it. Troy approached him.

"Jordan, I know this is hard..."

"Hard?" Jordan asked him. "Actually, things have never been simpler."

"I don't understand." Troy stated as Jordan looked to him.

"You know, all those years, I always wondered why dad and I didn't get on, why we were never that close." Jordan said as he tried to make sense of it all. "We were never close, no matter what happened...now I finally get it."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to explain it for me." Troy told him.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jordan asked him. "My dad wasn't my dad...and I think he knew all along."

"Jordan..."

"He asked my mom when they found out she was pregnant. They'd had problems having kids." Jordan told him. "She denied it, but obviously that was a lie."

"Jordan, I don't know..."

"My dad wasn't my dad, and he knew it." Jordan told him. "Instead, he was stuck looking after the kid my mom had with another man, and that ultimately killed her."

He looked to the flag, and then back to Troy.

"No wonder he hated me. I destroyed everything, just like I always do." Jordan told him, before throwing the flag into a trash can.

Meanwhile, in her underwater Base, Metal Alice was just putting the finishing touches to the systems, before powering up the machines. She marvelled at her creation. She went to the communications centre and punched some keys, getting Vrak on the line.

"It is ready Lord Vrak." She announced. "The time of machines is finally at hand!"

When they got back home, Emma and Gia had gone to their room for some quiet time. Gia was on a Skype chat to Cat as Emma just sat, going over in her mind what Wayne had said to her.

"But Gia, I've already bought the ticket." Cat whined in a disappointed tone as Gia tried to explain why she wanted her to stay in LA for Thanksgiving. It was a trip they'd been arranging for a while, and both of them had been looking forward to it. "I've spent weeks babysitting for my neighbours to pay for it."

"Cat, things are just really messed up here." Gia told her. "I really want to see you too, but not if that psycho is still running around."

"But I promise to be careful." She told her. Gia was agonising over the decision. She only wanted Cat to be safe.

"I know, I really want to see you too." She responded. "It's just...please don't make this any harder than it already is..."

Emma had finally heard enough, and in a snap decision took her morpher from her bag. Gia only just caught a glimpse of it as Emma headed out the door.

"Emma, what are you...?" She started to say. "Um...Cat, I'm going to have to call you back."

Emma though, was already in the Living Room, where Eric was talking with Louise.

"Dad, there's something important I need to tell you." Emma told him.

"Emma, whatever it is..."

"Go Go Megaforce!" She called out, slamming her power card into the morpher before Gia could stop her. As they light in the room dissipated, Eric and Louise could only stare, seeing the Pink Ranger where Emma had once stood.

Fin


End file.
